


Law and Order: DCU

by eisschirmchen, meisterful, PeregrineWilliams



Category: Soul Eater
Genre: F/M, Law and Order: DCU, Resbang 2013, Soul Eater Resonance Bang, Soul Eater Resonance Bang 2013, resbang
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 17:08:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 34,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1083527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eisschirmchen/pseuds/eisschirmchen, https://archiveofourown.org/users/meisterful/pseuds/meisterful, https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeregrineWilliams/pseuds/PeregrineWilliams
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When college student and campus security cop Maka Albarn’s residence hall is terrorised by an amateur pornographer filming girls in the showers and posting the videos online she and her college drop out campus security partner Soul Evans must work together to catch the creep before the videos can go viral.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One: Short Skirt, Long Jacket

**Author's Note:**

> Warning, this fic contains; mature language, crimes of a sexual nature, sexual references, and Giriko (nuff said)

Maka Albarn, twenty years old and infinitely fed up with the situation at hand pelted down a row of philosophy books at a speed only achievable by four years of high school track. Her breaths came even (if hard) and her arms pumped by her sides. She could tell her target was tiring. She'd chased him from the bottom level of the library up two flights of stairs, through numerous crowds of patrons jostling each other for a good study spot and through endless shelves of books and archive rooms. She could maintain this pace for a while yet, but her target wasn't nearly as fit as her. His gait wavered at the start of the social sciences section and he stumbled while passing the re-stacking cart. Maka increased her pace, gaining on the short man. This was as good an opportunity as ever to end what was, despite her skill, becoming a rather tedious affair. He turned to glance back over his shoulder and his eyes widened at the sight of her red faced and messy haired person determinedly in pursuit. Maka grinned. The rush of committing a crime had left his eyes, only desperation and exhaustion remained. The man turned to round the next corner and for a moment Maka feared she'd lose him in oncoming crowd. She needn't have worried. Her target squealed like a pig and toppled over limbs flailing. She rounded the corner after him and finally stopped running. Instead of losing himself in the crowd, her target had lost his footing crashing into a person.

"You should probably watch where you're going, it's not cool to run into people like that."

Maka's target took one look at the man holding him in place and blanched.

"I had him, Soul." Maka huffed between deep breaths, tightening her ponytail.

"And now I have him."

Soul Evans, twenty-three and gifted with annoyingly perfect timing, held their target firmly in place as if it took no effort.

"Do you enjoy letting me do all the hard work and then swooping in at the last minute to take all the credit?"

Soul cocked a pale eyebrow at her and slowly rolled his eyes. Three months of harmless teasing and growing familiarity in their partnership lay behind that expression. Point made, Soul bowed his head respectfully and thanked his partner as he always did when she took on more of the leg work.

"Well Maka, as always, thank you for an easy arrest." he smirked at her.

Maka tried not to smile back. If she was being honest with herself she should have given up on trying months ago. She couldn't stop the corners of her mouth from twitching upwards anymore than Soul could stop appearing exactly when he was needed most. Soul returned her gesture, smirk transforming into a small, but genuine, smile. They nodded briefly at each other before returning their attention back to their target. Maka's smile was replaced by a steel glare as she turned to face the small man.

"Peter Gopher, we're placing you under arrest and escorting you back to the security hub."

"Arrest?" Gopher exclaimed. "You're not even real cops!"

Maka crossed her arms and pushed herself up on her toes just far enough to glare down at him.

"No. We're campus security."

"And stealing laptops is against university policy." Soul gripped Gopher's arm a little tighter than necessary and grinned wickedly.

Both Maka and Soul were incredibly satisfied with the stifled wail Gopher let out.

\---

Back in the security hub locker room, Maka shut her locker with a resounding clunk and sat down on the bench across from it to towel off her dark blonde hair and slide into her shoes.

"I hate library rotations," she stated, investigating her feet for blisters.

"Then stop being so damn good at them." Soul's locker opened as he rounded the corner in nothing but jeans and flip flops with his almost unbelievably white-blonde hair dripping water down his shoulders and across the line of the angry scar that bisected his chest. Maka knew the scar all too well. It had happened months ago, when they were only a few weeks into the partnership, but she still found it hard to see.

Not looking up from her feet, Maka sighed tiredly.

"I can't help but be good at them Soul. If I want to keep my scholarship I have to be the best. Besides, what would Mama think?"

Soul snorted as he opened his locker and started rifling through the mess inside.

"That's your problem bookworm. You care too much about college."

Maka bristled and dropped her foot to glare at him.

"So I should become a drop out like you, working easy security jobs to get by?"

Soul shrugged and glanced at her over his shoulder, unabashedly rolling deodorant under his arms.

 

Even someone as unaffected by the opposite sex as Maka couldn't help but notice how his shoulders bunched rather pleasantly with the gesture. She huffed and turned away from him, pulling her towel up from around her shoulders to dry her hair. The fact that it would hide any traitorous blush did not factor into her decision to do so.

"Well if you hate it so much, just ask the boss for a transfer."

The eye roll was so implied in Soul's tone that Maka threw her towel at him.

"Hey!"

He turned around to pout at her. Pouting was really the worst look she ever got from him anymore--unless they got into a proper fight, the kind that had one or both of them calling in sick to work to avoid seeing each other.

"You think I haven't thought of that? I've been putting in requests for weeks, but it's always the same. They need us on library duty. We're the best. I just wish we could do something more meaningful. Library duty is just so tedious. I think I might actually hit the next person who ignores the no food sign."

Soul snorted just as Maka's phone buzzed and she pulled it out.

"Can you not." Soul whined, towelling his hair half-heartedly before pulling a T-shirt over his head.

Maka ignored him and flicked through her messages. "If it were you texting you'd be annoyed that I didn't get it straight away. Even when it’s so early in the morning that I’m not even awake yet."

If Soul had the decency to look embarrassed, Maka didn’t notice. She frowned at her phone. There were a lot of messages. She never had this many, especially when all her friends knew she was working and wouldn't get them for a few hours anyways.

"But I'm right here so can you not do that while we're having a conversation."

Soul leaned over her to take the phone. Maka shrieked and turned away. Soul kept leaning over her trying to take it, their arms getting jumbled and her head hitting his chest uncomfortably before she managed to read enough of the message to cut the play fight short.

"Stop!" she shoved him. "It's serious."

Within the three months they’d been partners, Soul had learned the differences between Maka's tones and the consequences for ignoring them so he waited expectantly.

She read the message twice more to be sure she wasn't misinterpreting it.

"It's from my RA."

"Your hot water going to be down again? You can come stay again if you want." Soul towelled at his hair some more as if to make a point.

Maka shook her head. If only it were that trivial.  

"Someone's been filming girls in the showers."

Maka flicked through the rest of her messages, frown deepening with each one. All of them held the same news. Stony faced, Soul offered Maka his hand. Glancing up when he cleared his throat, she took it and let him pull her up.

"I'll walk you back."

She nodded, squeezing his hand once before letting go. She could almost hear her mother's voice in the back of her head. Be careful what you wish for.

\--

When Maka and Soul came into view of Maka’s dorm Shibusen Hall everything appeared normal, but for the police squad car parked outside. They shared a worried look before entering through the front office into chaos. It seemed as though all the girls from the dorm were standing in the small reception area, demanding answers. A few pieces of paper were being passed around the crowd, a trail of outraged cries and whimpers following in its wake. In the middle of it all was their boss, head of campus security Sid Barrett. Maka took Soul’s hand and started elbowing them a passage towards their boss.

“Mr Barrett! Sir!” Maka called out over the girls around her.

“Maka?” he turned and looked almost relieved to see her. “You aware of what’s going on here?”

“We’ve heard.” Soul answered.

Around them a group of at least five girls propelled themselves through the masses after one of the mysterious pieces of paper. Soul scowled and dropped Maka’s hand when he was buffeted by another three.

“I want the case.”

Sid started to shake his head, but Maka didn’t give him a chance to get further than that.

“You’ve been saying for weeks that I’m the best. There isn’t any rule breaker you’ve set me after that I haven’t caught.  And Sir, this is my home. I know the buildings, I know the girls. I’m the best person for this.”

“Maka I know that, and if it were just a university matter you’d have the case, but this is a police matter. We’re just here for back up now.”

“Well who’s been put in charge then?”

Sid grimaced and had the decency to look a little embarrassed. Maka’s stomach sunk. There was only one person who could elicit that reaction from her usually unflappable boss. A distinctly male, if irritatingly baby toned voice suddenly rose above all the noise of girls and staff.

“It’s alright ladies. There’s enough of me to go around. Don’t worry I’m quite happy to interview each of you on that list personally and anyone else for that matter!”

Maka leaned around Sid hoping against all evidence not to see a mop of bright red hair. There was never any point arguing with the evidence. Next to her Soul bristled.

“Maka isn’t that your-”

Maka’s hands curled into fists at her sides.

“Yeah, it’s him.”

Spirit Albarn, thirty-eight, notorious womaniser, Death City police office and Maka’s father, stood haphazardly on a chair, only occasionally sneaking a peak down someone’s shirt.  
Maka tried to duck back behind Sid before her father could spot her but ever since she was a little girl he seemed to have a sixth sense dedicated solely to locating and embarrassing her.

“Maka! Is that my Maka! Maka no need to fear! Papa’s here to find the nasty pervert terrorising your dorm! No man will get away with seeing my Maka naked!”

Face bright red, Maka shoved her way through her temporarily shocked dorm-mates to reach her father.

“Would you get down from there if you’re just going to be useless.”  

“No Maka! Papa’s not being useless! He’s gathering, uh, evidence from all these lovely ladies you live with!”

“That’s not all he’s gathering.” Soul muttered.

It was like a switch had been flipped  in Spirit Albarn. Gone were the dewy eyes of a father in love. In their place was the narrow eyed suspicion of a father on guard.

“What was that you little punk? What are you still doing lurking around my daughter like that anyways? Are you trying to pull a move on her or what?”

Soul scoffed.

“She’s my partner idiot. We work together.”

“Papa, you’ve met Soul before.” Maka sighed, frown settling in to stay.

“Well aren’t you a man? Who wouldn’t want to lurk around my precious Maka. Just look how cute and gorgeous she is! Smart and talented too, best in her class all through school. What’s wrong with her? Nothing! What kind of man are you not making a move!”

“Papa stop!” Maka ordered.

Spirit took a moment more to scowl at Soul and mouth what were probably threats before returning his attention to his daughter.

“Don’t you worry Maka. Papa is on the-”

“I want the case.”

“Maka, sweetie. I know you’re scared but-”

“I’m not scared Papa. I just want to be involved and know what’s happening.”

Spirit didn’t look convinced. Scrambling for leverage, Maka put on her best pouty face.

“And you’ll want someone here to keep the police informed won’t you?”

Spirit’s expression wavered. Maka bit her bottom lip and tried not to curse herself too much for what she was about to say.

“And it would mean that I’d be visiting the station more.”

Spirit melted on the spot reduced to a doting, excited mess at the prospect of seeing his daughter more regularly. Maka sidestepped his oncoming hug and Soul barely skipped out of the way in time to avoid collision.

“Um Papa about the case, I’ll need to know the details.”

Maka shot Soul a ‘save me’ look, but apparently the sight of her father in uniform hugging her around the knees was too hilarious to interrupt. Soul shook his head at her with a smirk.

“Yes, yes of course. Whatever my Maka needs. Sid has a copy of everything of course and you can always call me-”

“Thanks Papa.”

Maka managed to step out of his embrace and melt back into the crowd. Soul snickered behind her and she elbowed him lightly.

“It’s not funny Soul. I’m actually going to have to talk to him regularly again.”

“Hey I don’t like him either but doesn’t he pay for you to go here?”

Maka huffed and turned her nose up indignantly.

“Well it’s the least he can do after everything he did to Mama and me.”

Soul held his hands up in surrender before shoving them in his pockets just in time to be knocked off balance by the blur of tall, dark and busty that was Maka’s resident advisor Blair.

“Oh kitten isn’t it terrible! Have you checked the list, are you on it? What are we going to do?” she squealed and pulled Maka to her chest.

Maka squirmed in the older woman’s grasp, gasping for air when she was finally let go.

“It’s going to be okay Blair. I’m on it, official Campus Security business.” she offered a reassuring smile.

“Oh kitten you are too precious!”

Maka leaned slightly towards Soul, subtly edging away from the excited RA.

“What list does Maka need to check?” Soul asked warily.

“Oh! And campus cop boy is here too! Well we’ve got nothing to worry about then.” Blair’s smile spiralled to sneakily seductive and she batted her eyelids for effect.

“The list.” Soul repeated.

Blair conceded, muttering something that sounded suspiciously like no wonder you two get along so well.

“The list has the name of every girl who was filmed. Well it has all the names that we’ve identified. Sometimes it was just a back-shot and those aren’t so easy.”

Maka gulped.

“Can I get a copy?”

Blair glanced around cautiously before pulling a folded piece of paper from her bra and handing it to Maka.

“Technically I’m not meant to keep a copy, but if you could return it when you’re done; Eruka wants to publish the list in the newsletter so anyone who isn’t here can check.”

Maka nodded and her eyes quickly scanned the list. There were a few names she didn’t recognise, but many that she did. Her veins burned with frozen heat when she saw both her roommate and her best friend’s names.

“You’re not there.”

Soul’s voice was loud right by her ear and she jumped slightly. She hadn’t even noticed how close he was standing to her to read over her shoulder. She turned her attention back to the list, scanning faster, trying to make it less personal. He was right. Her name was not on the list.

“They might just not have identified me yet.”

“With your dad on the case, they would have identified you first.”  he countered, strangely reassuring despite reminding her of the possibility of her father seeing her naked.

“I just don’t see how I can’t be on the list. Almost everyone else on my floor is.”

“Look at the time stamps by each name. Where were you on those days?”  

Maka studied them for a moment, comparing them with the calendar on her phone.

“I should have been here, they were all filmed Friday through Monday three weeks ago.” she frowned. “Maybe they just didn’t think I was worth filming?”

Soul scoffed.

“What was that for! I seem to remember you making certain comments like that.”

“Idiot. Sure, back when we first met, to be a jerk. But honestly, considering how much you complained about the hot water being screwed I’d think you’d remember escaping cold showers by staying at my place for a few days, you know, three weeks ago.”

He tapped her head lightly as if to make a point. She shrugged him off.

“Well now that we know you’re okay, we should go find Sid to get the full story, like how they have a list of girls filmed for one. That means they have the footage and they had to get that somewhere...”

“We?” Maka raised an eyebrow.

Soul rolled his eyes.

“Well I’m not going to leave you to investigate this alone. You are my partner.”

“Soul I am perfectly capable of handling this, you don’t need to spend your free time on it.”

“You really are an idiot. Of course I’m going to spend my free time on this. No creep is gonna get a free pass at you or anyone else here like that. We’re gonna catch him. Together.”

Maka turned on her heel.

“Well come on then. We need to find Sid and get more information.”

Soul smiled, shoving his hands into his pockets to follow her. If she thought that spinning so fast would hide her blush, she was wrong.

 

\---

Soul was beginning to realise that he may never get used to the determination that was so characteristic of his partner. They’d spent the day working a seven hour library shift, which had ended in a chase and now she wanted to elongate the day further by starting her own interviews of the girls who had been filmed. It was remarkable really, how much the damn woman gave of herself to others. And he tagged along, trailing after her as if he was as good a person as she. So long as she didn’t mind, he didn’t really see a problem with it. It was amazing the effect that verdant green eyes and a bright smile could make to the average working day.

“So who are we seeing next?” he asked, following her down another corridor and up half a flight of stairs.

“You know you don’t have to stay, it’s almost dinner time and isn’t your brother coming back into town?”

“He’ll survive. Who’s next?”

“Tsubaki. We should have seen her first, she’s the earliest time stamp, but she’s got late classes so...”

“Your roommate’s sister’s roommate?”

Maka turned and looked at him with an expression somewhere between surprised and impressed. Soul scowled. He thought she had a little more faith in him than that.

“Well hurry up, I’m starving.”

Maka shook her head slightly and continued to lead the way. They walked in a companionable silence. Though Soul had been here before, it was only ever to pick Maka up and take her somewhere. Whether it was because the hot water was gone or because there were people being loud the night before she had an exam and needed a quiet place to sleep. He’d never paid much attention to the building. His mind had always been elsewhere.  It was kind of dingy. To be fair dingy was a lot better than what he remembered of his dorms, but still it was hard to picture neat perfectionist Maka Albarn living somewhere that always smelt slightly of damp and human bodies.  

They passed a door with a small outline of a female shape on it and Soul stopped.

“Hey, is this the one?”

Maka slowed and nodded.

“One of them.”

“Should we take a look?”

Maka nodded and opened the door ahead of him checking to make sure it was empty before waving him in. Soul whistled, impressed.

“They haven’t gotten to all of the bathrooms, but this building has mostly been renovated.”

The main door lead to a row of sinks and shelf space before branching off to four more doors.

“There’s a toilet, shower and sink in each of them. A lot more civilised than they used to be.” Maka wandered into one of the rooms.

Soul followed her, taking in the room. There were still a few holes in the ceiling from misplaced wiring points. He fiddled with the doorknob for a moment to check that it worked.

“These doors lock from the inside only?”

Maka glanced down.

“I hadn’t thought about it, but yes they do.”

“Then how could someone film girls in these showers?”

Maka’s eyes flitted around the room, finally settling on the window. She crossed to it, opened it and glanced out.

“We’re meant to leave these open so we don’t set off the fire alarms with the shower steam. If someone was standing on the stairs there that connect the buildings they could easily see into the shower.”

Soul peered over her shoulder, the faintest scent of strawberries were wafting up from her hair threatening to distract him. He ignored it and stepped back.

“So it has to be someone who knows the dorm well.”

Maka’s lips drew together in a thin line.

“Let’s go see Tsubaki.”

 

Tsubaki’s side of the room was neat, simple and understated. Soul hovered awkwardly in the doorway while Maka explained what they were doing and hugged her friend.

“Please come in, take a seat.” Tsubaki smiled welcomingly before sitting on the side of her bed.

Maka took a seat next to her and Soul perched on the edge of Tsubaki’s desk chair.

“Tsubaki I know that no one’s actually seen whoever it is that’s filming girls, but if there’s anything you can think of that might help we’d really appreciate it.” Maka took her friends hand.

Tsubaki smiled weakly before slumping slightly.

“I really wish I could tell you something Maka. I know I was one of the first, but really I haven’t seen anyone filming.”

Soul sighed and rested his head in his hands. None of the girls so far knew anything. They were all just shocked that it had happened without their knowledge. This whole interview process was beginning to feel like a waste of time, procedure for the sake of procedure. It was reminding him of why he’d dropped out of college in the first place.

“Tsubaki...”

Apparently Maka had picked up on something Soul hadn’t. Her tone had become firm and Soul sat up straight. Tsubaki’s hands were clasped in her lap and she looked down at them quietly.

“Tsubaki what do you mean you haven’t seen anyone filming? Have you seen someone doing something else?”

Tsubaki crumpled under Maka’s even green gaze.

“It didn’t mean anything. He was just being an idiot. I mean, it can’t be him.”

“Who?” Soul asked.

Maka shot him a ‘stay out of it’ look, but Tsubaki didn’t seem to mind.

“Well it was a few weeks ago and I didn’t realise the window was open. It didn’t take me long to realise he was there and he wasn’t filming! He never filmed me. I mean, it was just Black*Star, he’s harmless.”

Maka caught Soul’s eye over Tsubaki’s shoulder.

“Black*Star, as in Blake Barrett, our boss’ kid?”

Tsubaki nodded.

“He wasn’t being a creep!”

“Tsubaki!” Maka chastised.

Tsubaki just shook her head and whispered something to her. Soul wanted to lean forward so he could hear too, but Tsubaki was obviously whispering for a reason. Besides, if it was useful to the case Maka would tell him later anyways. Maka frowned, but nodded.

“You aren’t going to tell the police are you?”

Maka gnawed the inside of her cheek thoughtfully.

“I’ll talk to him and then decide.”

Tsubaki looked like she wanted to say something more, but stopped herself and nodded, resigned.

“I just didn’t want to say anything in case he got in trouble. I mean, he only did it to me and, well, you know...”

Maka nodded.

“I know. Hey I’ll come by later and we’ll watch a movie or something.” she smiled.

Tsubaki smiled back and walked them to the door.

“So what was all that about?” Soul asked.

Maka sighed. “Tsubaki just has really strange taste in guys. C’mon. We have to talk to Black Star.”

Soul followed her, resigned to the most likely truth, that Black Star, Maka's childhood friend and one of his few friends was the pervert.

\--

This time, Soul knew where they were going. He had been to Black*Star's dorm room before, knew his roommates, smuggled in beer and played video games late at night. If Maka was surprised she didn't show it. She'd seen him talking to Black*Star at the security hub and had probably put two and two together. Soul raised his hand to knock on the door but Maka stopped him, gripping his wrist lightly. He looked down at her.

"I don't want it to be him either, but we have to approach this objectively."

"I know that."

Soul took her hand from his wrist gently and rapped loudly on the door. It was opened by one of Black*Star's two roommates, Killik.

"Hey Soul, weren't expecting you till tomorrow night."

"Yeah, I know. Is Black*Star here?"

Killik opened the door wider and gestured for them to come inside. He nodded at Maka who tilted her head in his direction before stalking through the room to where Black*Star sat playing Call of Duty.

"Can you give us a minute." It wasn't so much of a question as a statement but Killik grabbed his phone and keys and left with a nod.

"Black Star, we need to talk to you." She positioned herself between him and the TV.

"Yeah nerd we're gonna have to do this later. I'm showing these dorks in China what a god I am!" He cackled easily as he shot someone through the head.

Maka didn't waste anymore time. She blocked the TV completely, leaned over it and pulled the plug.

"Hey! Good minions don't do that to their gods!"

Soul put a hand on his friend's shoulder and shook his head, silently conveying that now was not the time.

"Well it’s bound to be good if you interrupted me."

"Black Star do you know what happened in the dorms today?"

"Other than me being awesome?"

"She's serious Star." Soul said.

"Well I guess it’s no wonder Tsubaki didn't tell you considering..." Maka trailed off artfully.

Soul sent her a warning look. Objective or not, Black*Star was their friend and now wasn't the time to be testing out her interrogation methods. Black*Star leapt from his chair.

"What happened to Tsubaki! Is she alright? What aren't you telling me?"

He grabbed Maka around the shoulders and she shook him off.

"Tsubaki's fine, sort of. Look, we know you've been peeping on her in the showers."

"Ain’t a crime... Not between me and Tsu." Black Star muttered.

"Actually it is, but that’s not the point right now. Someone’s been filming girls in the showers and so far you're our only suspect."

Black*Star looked strangely wounded.

"Maka, you think I could do that? Soul?"

Soul interjected before Maka could.

"No we don't think you could do that, but it doesn't look good and it wont be long before the cops catch up to us and find you too. So what's the deal with Tsubaki?"

If Soul wasn’t seeing it with his own eyes he might not believe it, but Blake Barrett, Black*Star was actually blushing a little.

"S'between her and me. Thats why I said it ain’t a crime."

They stood there awkwardly for a moment and Maka looked slightly green for some reason. Soul couldn't help but wonder what Tsubaki had told her without revealing it was Black*Star she was talking about.

"You should talk to Tsubaki." Maka said. "She's kind of shaken up."

Black*Star nodded. "Are we done here?"

"Yeah, but we probably shouldn't bother the police with this. It’s personal." Maka offered him a peace offering in the form of a smile.

"You agree?" Black*Star asked Soul.

"None of our business." He agreed.

"See you tomorrow then." Black*Star reached out and shook his hand.

"And remember, you can always come to your god for help."

Neither Soul, nor Maka doubted that they could.

Back in the hallway on their way to Maka's room to collect Soul's backpack, Soul screwed up enough courage to ask Maka what she was going to do next.

"Well I suppose I'll talk to the girls and see what they want to do."

"I meant about where you're gonna shower." To his credit he managed to say it without his voice wavering or breaking.

Maka pinked and hit him in the arm.

"Don't be such a pervert."

"Hey I'm just looking out for you. I don't want some creep filming my g-partner na-. Yeah." He shoved his hands in his pockets and slouched slightly. Fuck. So not cool.

Maka narrowed her eyes at him.

"I'll be fine. We'll just make sure all the windows are closed or covered. I guess we could always shower on the boys floor or on one of the co-ed floors."

Soul didn't like that idea much more than her first, but before he could press the issue further she derailed it.

"Well we've missed dinner hour here. Do you want to go out, your brother could come?"

"No."

"Oh well, okay-"

"Idiot. I just meant that he can’t come. Where do you want to go?"

"Are you sure he won’t mind?"

"I’m sure."

Maka nodded. "I'll just get a jacket."

Soul tapped out a quick text to his brother to tell him not to wait up, they’d have breakfast together tomorrow. It wasn't that Soul didn't want to see his brother, it was just he'd rather have dinner with Maka. It wasn’t until she reappeared, her leather jacket and his bag in tow and his phone buzzed with a text that read ‘hot date? ;)’ that he realised the desire for that to be the situation probably should have worried him.

 

\---

Maka was home by nine with a stomach full of real world food and a brain full of information she wasn’t sure what to do with. She let herself into her room quietly. Her roommate Patti would still be awake, but it was a habit from the days of her parents' separation that she couldn’t seem to kick.

“Hi Patti.” Maka put her wallet on the dresser and shrugged out of her jacket, pausing with it halfway down her arms. “Hi...everyone.”

Somehow about twenty girls seemed to have crammed themselves into her and Patti’s small dorm room.

“Bit late for you, isn’t it Maka.”  Liz, Patti’s older sister and Tsubaki’s roommate waved at her from an office chair.

Maka shrugged. “What’s going on.”

“We’re gonna catch the shower creep. You want in?”

“Of course I do. What’ve you got in mind?”

Maka looked for a seat, but there was only floor space left. Instead she settled for leaning against the dresser.

“Well we were looking through this list they were passing around and every timestamp was between eight and nine a.m. So we figure that tomorrow we act as if we don’t know anything, have people in the halls and catch the guy when he tries to leave.”

Maka smiled.

“I think that could work.”

Liz smiled back.

“If he shows, we’ll get him. Now does anyone know where we can get some floor plans?”

The one thing they all seemed to forget; all the floor plans in the world won’t make a difference if your perp doesn’t show.

\---

 

They set up posts around the girl’s floors at six in the morning and rotated people through until eleven. When Maka turned up to work library duty an hour late, Soul didn’t need to ask if something was wrong. Her face said it all, open like the books she loved to read and hated to monitor. Disappointment, rage and fuelling them both determination. It was a dangerous look on Maka Albarn. Later she’d explain that after five hours of surveillance and no sign of strange man or camera in any of the buildings, everyone involved in the sting operation was torn between disappointment and optimism. That many of the girls had even gone so far as to suggest this was the end of it. Maka hadn’t been so convinced. Nothing this serious was ever that easy.


	2. Part Two: 99 Problems

Even if everyone else in her dorm had all but forgotten how they had been peeped on and filmed while in the shower, Maka couldn’t seem the shake the feeling that someone was always watching her. The feeling was especially noticeable back at Shibusen Hall and despite her friends and regular Shibusen antics, it didn’t feel quite as comforting as it had just a week ago. She’d been spending as little time there as possible. She did all of her studying in the university library, worked extra shifts with and without Soul and spent an ungodly amount of time at his apartment. Somehow she still hadn’t met his brother and she was beginning to think that Soul was keeping it that way on purpose. She would call him a jerk, but she didn't want to pry. There had always been something about Soul's family that just went unsaid.

She shook her head and brought herself back to her criminal psychology lecture. All her studying would be worthless if she tuned out because of her living situation. Professor Gorgon was the type of lecturer who wandered around the room holding a portable microphone to her lips and spontaneously asking the audience questions. Unlike most other lecturers however she always expected and somehow always received one. It wasn’t that she was scary, quite the contrary, Maka had found her to be one of the most approachable professors in her department, but she did have an eerie effect on the students. Possibly because she didn't yet look forty, sported short blonde hair and two full sleeve snake tattoos. It certainly wasn't what people expected from Death City's leading criminal psychologist.

While Maka hastily finished her notes, Professor Gorgon finished up the lecture with a review of all the topics covered and reminded the cohort that the lecture slides and transcript would be available online for twenty-four hours as they always were. As the rest of the class filed out Maka stayed behind, taking her time shutting down and putting away her laptop. She was ready to leave and be early for her next library shift when Professor Gorgon called her over.

"Maka, a word please?"

Maka's gulped nervously.

"Is something wrong Professor?"

Professor Gorgon smiled warmly at her and waved her black nailed hands in a dismissive gesture.

"No not at all. I just wanted to talk about how well you're doing in this course. Your tutor Justin is very impressed, especially with your last essay on profiling."

Maka blushed and tried not to smile too widely. "Thank you! Thats great to hear, I'm really enjoying it."

"It's such a pleasure to have enthusiastic natural talent in my class. Though I suppose I should have expected it from you."

Despite the praise Maka tensed, already knowing what question was coming next.

"You're Kami's daughter aren't you?"

Maka perked up. For once it wasn’t about her father.

"You knew Mamma?"

Professor Gorgon smiled. "I consulted on some cases for her. Your mother was a brilliant agent, we were so sorry to lose her after the Asura incident."

Maka thanked her again, despite the mention of the case that had driven her mother to end her career and twelve months later officially end her marriage and take off around the world.  

"So if you need anything, just let me know."

Maka felt stupid saying thank you again but as her brain scrambled for a different phrase to show her gratitude another thought occurred.

"Actually Professor, there is something. We had an incident at my dorm a week ago."

Professor Gorgon interrupted her. "Ah yes, I heard. My own child used to live there."

Maka tried not to look too surprised. Professor Gorgon hardly looked old enough to have a child the same age as her, let alone older.

"Well I suppose I'd like your opinion on the type of person to do such a thing. See they filmed us and posted it to a website. One of the boys found it while er...well the important thing is he reported it, but no one has seen the perpetrator and the website has been closed."

Professor Gorgon took a moment to consider Maka's information.

"Well if everything has been shut down after they were noticed then they're not interested in the thrill of being caught. It's an unfortunate incident but it sounds as though it is over. I wouldn't worry about it Maka."

"But-"

"It's alright, I'm sure you're all very shaken by it all, but I suspect the best thing to do now is focus on your studies and get on with your life."

"Oh, of course."

Maka wanted to agree with her professor, to be comforted by her words, but that uneasy sensation of being watched still had her hair on end. She wanted it to be as simple and as complete as Professor Gorgon suggested. She supposed she'd just have to try harder. She refused to let something that hadn't even happened to her to effect her like is anymore.

Professor Gorgon bent to gather her papers.

"Well Maka it's been a pleasure talking to you. I'll see you next week."

Clearly dismissed and now running late for work Maka smiled, bid her teacher good bye and started running for the library the moment she was out of the building.

 

\---

After five hours in the library, one nice long shower in the Security Hub locker room and an early dinner at the student bar, Maka was back in her room dressed comfortably in shorts and an old hoodie going over library reports with Soul.

Paperwork was another unfortunate aspect of library duty. Maka and Soul had to process all the reports of theft, vandalism and maintenance requests as well as their own reports on any incidents that occurred under their watch. It was dull work, but Maka tried not to complain. After all, if she wanted a career in law enforcement, she had a lot of paperwork to look forward to in her future. Soul's ambitions, however, lay elsewhere.

"Maka come on, let’s go see a movie or something. We're almost done, we can finish these tomorrow."

"Soul I have class tomorrow."

"It's your day off." He closed his folder, effectively putting his work away for the day.

"No, it's my day off work, not my day off classes."

"Do you ever take a break?"

"Yes!"

He quirked an eyebrow at her and Maka sighed.

"Well I'm taking a break now to entertain you aren't I?"

Soul shrugged. "You could do better."

Maka's eyes narrowed and she threw some papers at him.

"Hey!"

"Sign off on those."

"Demanding." He muttered while signing his agreement that everything in the reports was true and accurate.

"You didn't even read them!" Maka chastised.

"I trust you, haven't made a mistake yet."

Maka stared at him horrified, her eyes darting to his chest and back up again before looking away entirely. They both fell silent. Soul gave her one long unreadable look she resolutely avoided. His lips parted and it was so quiet Maka could hear his breath and the start of words forming. Thankfully she never got to hear what those words might have been. They were interrupted by one of the loudest screams of wrath that she had ever heard.

The scream continued, uninterrupted down the hall and both Maka and Soul leapt to their feet and hurtled out the door. At the end of the hallway Liz rounded a corner and up the stairs.

“Where is he!” her tone and gaze were pure murder.

As terrifying a figure as she cut, the effect of it was diminished slightly by the fact she was wearing nothing but a small yellow towel.

Before Maka or Soul could think of an appropriate response, Liz growled and hurled down the hallway past them towards the connecting stairs. Behind her was a thunder of feet. Maka instinctively took a step back into the room, bumping into Soul as ten more girls including Patti and Blair followed in Liz’s wake. None of them even noticed Maka’s open door or the campus cops standing in it. She looked up over her shoulder at him and he exhaled heavily before nodding. They took off in a run after the crowd.

They trailed the girls through the outer stairs connecting the buildings like some kind of extreme open day tour. Next to Maka Soul’s breathing became more erratic and he dropped behind slightly, waving her forward. He was in decent shape, but obviously not prepared for chases up and down stairs. Maka powered on ahead, tying up her hair in a ponytail as she ran. The group came to an abrupt stop on the lawn and Maka pushed her way through the girls to reach Liz who was hollering loud enough Maka wouldn’t be surprised if they could hear her on the other side of campus.

“SHOW YOUR FACE YOU FUCKING PERVERTED FREAK. THINK YOU CAN FILM US IN THE SHOWERS AND GET AWAY WITH IT? GET BACK HERE AND I’LL SMASH YOUR FUCKING FACE IN!”

Maka expected Blair to be trying to hold the younger woman back, or at least calm her down but Blair herself stood tense and bristled nodding with every extra curse that left Liz’s mouth.

“That’s it! This place isn’t doing shit. I’m calling Kid.” Liz reached to her hip for a phone that wasn’t there and realised she was still dressed only in her towel.

Patti materialised by her sister’s side.

“You can use mine sissy.”

Liz ruffled her younger sister’s hair and took the phone, speaking rapidly into it almost immediately.

Maka turned to Blair, eyes searching for answers.

“Liz actually saw someone with a camera.”

Maka’s eyes bulged.

“He’s just lucky it wasn’t me. No one gets away with hurting my kittens.” Blair’s usually bubbly tone had gone eerily calm.

Maka had heard the stories about angry Blair. Late nights spent whispering the legends of Shibusen always included at least one story about her. Whether she was seducing her way into exclusive events for free or tearing the skin from any man who dared harm one of her kittens, she was not a woman to cross. Maka had always considered them more urban myths than anything. Blair looked entirely too composed, her face calm and grim like the Nevada sky right before a tornado erupted from its depths. A rare phenomenon surely, but not unheard of. Now Maka wasn’t so sure the stories were just rumour.  

“Well of course you’re going to pay for them! If your dad won’t approve it through the college you will privately! Yeah...Yes he did! Don’t forget Patti lives here too! Thank you.”

Liz’s volume rose and then dropped dramatically. She looked almost guilty for a moment before muttering. “Yeah, you too. See you soon.”

Between Liz’s screaming and the noise caused by a group of angry girls more and more people were coming out to the lawn and sticking their heads out windows. Liz, now deep in conversation with Patti and Blair seemed to have forgotten once more that she still dressed only in a towel.

“Hey.” Soul appeared by Maka’s side, out of breath and sweating lightly.

Maka quickly filled him in. He scowled and checked his watch.

“This breaks the pattern.”

Maka nodded. “I was thinking that too.”

“If there’s no pattern...”

“I know Soul. He could be filming any of us at any time.”

Black*Star and Tsubaki wove their way through the crowd to join Maka and Soul.

“Yo Liz, nice towel!” Black*Star called out.

Liz didn’t even notice, she was so deep in plotting with her sister and Blair.

“Black*Star.” Tsubaki chastised as Maka punched him in the arm.

It didn’t take Maka long to recount what they’d missed. Tsubaki looked very concerned but Black*Star seemed non-plussed.

“Aren’t you even a little concerned? That’s Tsubaki’s bathroom that guy was filming.”

Black*Star scoffed. “Don’t worry that overly big head of yours Maka. Tsubaki can use my bathroom. That creep isn’t into guys.”

Maka’s hands curled into fists with a speed that had been specifically associated with Black*Star since she was four years old.

“And what are the rest of us meant to do?”

“All of you can use our showers. I’m not gonna complain.”

They all looked at him stunned.

“What? A brilliant god like me looks after his followers. Besides with all you girls hanging around I’ll get a good look at-”

Maka’s hand collided with the back of his head before he could ruin the moment completely. They started bickering, gesticulating wildly between cackles and shrieks. Soul turned to Tsubaki who was watching them fondly.

“She didn’t even introduce us you know.” she said. “I met him first day here. He was going to jump off the roof of the main building into the portable pool they’d set up for the families.”

Soul quirked an eyebrow. It wasn’t unbelievable.

“So he do it?”

Tsubaki chuckled. “Of course. Everyone was really angry at him, but I couldn’t help but clap. All that way and he only sprained his ankle. He talks big, but he really does have a big heart to match.”

Soul nodded thoughtfully.

“You’ll make sure Maka takes him up on that offer?”

“She won’t go stay with you?” There was an implication in her tone very uncharacteristic of Tsubaki.

Soul wouldn’t meet her knowing indigo gaze and shrugged.

“She won’t want to leave everyone else behind. Won’t think it’s fair.”

Tsubaki smiled.

“You know her really well huh.”

“It’s been a bit less than a year. Partners means something.”

“Does it?” the knowing tone was back with a vengeance.

“Just make sure Black*Star stays outside the bathroom.”

\--

The mysterious and moderately mental Kid arrived the next morning with a team of speciality locksmiths. Liz ditched classes for the day to direct the teams installing swipe card systems on each dormitory door and Maka cut out of lectures early to help her. Together they organised the different groups, learnt how the new system worked, tested every door and started putting hundreds of swipe cards into envelopes to go in everyones mail boxes for collection at the end of the day. Maka and Liz finally had a chance to talk while Kid was making sure each swipe box had been installed perfectly straight and that despite the fact there were only seven buildings there were eight swipe boxes on site.

“It’s really incredible what you’ve done here.” Maka offered, writing her next envelope before handing it to Liz.

“I’m just looking out for everyone.”

“Liz no one else would have been able to do this.”

“You may have a point Albarn.”

They wrote more names and sealed more envelopes in companionable silence for a while.

“Hey Maka, they teach you about stakeouts and things up at CS?”

“Not really, but well I heard enough from my parents to get the gist.”

Liz nodded thoughtfully.

“I think we should set up a campus security here at Shibusen. You and Soul are great and all, but you’re just two people and you’re not always around.”

“Like a team of girls to patrol the dorms?”

“Be more ambitious Albarn. We could get guys to help too. The freshmen will love it, they always want their noses in everything. Besides, people are already doing it themselves, groups of friends taking turns taking watch and it’s not like the police are taking it seriously.”

Maka groaned. “Of course they’re not. They’re a bunch of men lead by the worst of their sex.”

Liz nodded thoughtfully.

“They think because we’re young girls we should just expect it. Except suddenly it’s bad if it’s their daughters.”

“Are we talking about the police or your dad?”

Maka shrugged and pressed her pen into the paper with extra force. Liz went on.

“We’ll catch him. He can’t outsmart us. And once we catch him we’re gonna get the best lawyer in the state, pay off the judge, hand select the jury and make sure that the scumbag goes to jail for the maximum sentence. I mean some of these girls are still seventeen, hell I’m sure we’ve got a sixteen year old, that’s all sorts of illegal.”

“We could try and get him on production and distribution of child pornography with that.”

“Now you’re thinking. So, we’ll meet in your room later with some of the others, spread the word and then make up a roster? I can count your boyfriend in, right?”

Maka jumped in her seat and pinked.

“Alright don’t even start, you know I’m just messin’ with you.”

After all the organising and schedule co-ordinating the girls managed to work out a timetable that meant there were only three hours between nine-thirty and twelve-thirty on Friday night unclaimed. In the end Maka put her name down for them. She never went out anyways and she rarely worked Saturdays. She could afford to lose the sleep even if she’d rather not. It meant she’d have two watches in one day (something they had agreed early on they would inflict upon no one), but that didn’t matter. Now the girls floors were always watched. If the amateur pornographer came back, someone would see him and raise the silent alarm of text messages, phone calls and student roadblocks. They weren’t going to let him get away with it again.

Patti and Maka took the Friday lunch time shift. It was an easy one because hardly anyone showered at that time except people coming back from the gym or between class hook ups. No one really expected to catch the guy at this time, but it was a nice day to be fake studying and eating packed lunch at a picnic table on the lawn. Even though they were the only ones on shift as the first hour came to an end they’re joined by some of the more eager first years Tsugumi, Anya and Meme. Patti was wary, she and Liz had a disagreement with the girls earlier in the year at the Deathbucks on campus. Maka explained the plans and gave them copies of the watch rosters while Patti warmed up to them. By the time the first years had to leave for class Patti had taken Meme’s email to send her some papers for a teaching essay. It was like Deathbucks had never happened.

For the rest of the time Patti explained the nuances of elementary teaching to Maka. It wasn’t really all that different to dealing with criminals.

“You need to make them do something, you’re not allowed to swear or hit them. So what you need most is a really scary voice.”

At the end of their shift, Liz and Kid wandered across the lawn. It sounded like Liz was trying to talk him out of the eighth card reader. One dorm building did not need two locks. Patti giggled.

“Even sis’ll never convince him to get rid of it. Kid’s so silly.”

Maka didn’t really know him. He was doing the same degree as her, but was two years ahead. Their paths had never crossed except maybe in the admin buildings where every assignment hardcopy had to be handed in.

“How’d you guys meet anyways?”

Patti shrugged. “We mugged him.”

She took one look at Maka’s shocked face and laughed.

“It was years ago. You know about our mom right?”

Maka nodded. One night in the first week of freshman year all the girls on the floor had gathered for a get to know you slumber party. Everyone told at least one incredibly personal story. Maka’s had been about her parents’ divorce and Patti’s had been about her mom, or rather how her big sister was much more of a mother to her.

“Ya well we just needed some money. Men are kind of stupid. It’s easy to get their money. But we made friends instead and he gave us a place to stay and here we are.”

There was no way that was the whole story, but Maka wasn’t about to pry. Information wasn’t the same when it wasn’t earned.

“So he’s freaked out about this?” Maka paused before adding hushed, “Your name was on that list.”

Patti nodded. “He knows not to worry. We’re gonna catch the guy.” Her voice took on a hollow, metallic tone reminiscent of a recently fired shotgun, “and he’s gonna pay.”

\---

Maka was set up out of sight under a tree on the lawn at nine twenty-seven. Around her were the sounds of people getting ready to leave for a night out. Occasionally someone would notice her, but by now they knew not to interrupt her. She was reading a print out for Professor Gorgon’s class furiously by phone flashlight desperately trying to finish before her watch officially began. She didn’t look up when footsteps approached, didn’t let anything distract her until her phone started beeping and buzzing with the alarm she had set on it. She turned the alarm off and looked up.

“Hi Soul.”

“Come here often?”

She rolled her eyes and shoved over so he had a little more space to rest his back against the tree next to her. He joined her on the ground, grunting as he lowered himself.

“Getting old, or just out of shape?” Maka jibed playfully.

“Someone’s getting grumpy. Need a nap baby?”

Maka twitched and eyed him sideways.

“You’re being a baby, idiot.”

Soul brushed his hand through his hair roughly and Maka definitely did not notice how thick and floppy it was without its usual heavy helping of gel. She also did not wonder even a little bit what it would feel like running through her fingers.

“So how long are we stuck here?” It wasn’t so much a whine, more of a verbal pout.

“You’re not stuck. I didn’t even ask you to be here.”

Soul shot her a withering look side on.

“Baby,” she muttered, bumping her shoulder against him.

He tensed next to her, brows furrowed in a half frown.

“Now you’re being a baby. Idiot.”

Soul shook his head.

“Not cool Maka, and right before I was gonna offer to take over so you could finish reading that.”

Maka pouted, knowing all too well that her pout was just as effective on him as his was on her. She watched him try to fight it for a moment before muttering more things about not being cool, digging around in his jacket pocket and handing her a mini flashlight.

“Thank you!”

Confident in Soul’s ability to keep an eye on things Maka resumed tearing through the reading, occasionally tagging a page to come back to and makes notes from later. Without having to worry about her alarm going off or missing a sighting of suspicious persons Maka finished the reading quickly and with minimal distractions. She set the paper down and zipped up her hoodie before burying her hands deep in her pockets.

“Cold?”

“Don’t even think about taking off your jacket.”

Soul snorted and smirked at her. “I was gonna say I’d keep watch while you went to your room for a better one.”

Maka hmphed.

“Probably good you’re so stubborn. You’d fall asleep if you went up there.”

“Would not.”

“Sure you would, Maka ‘I always go to bed at nine thirty, ten at the latest’ Albarn.”

She really had no comeback for that.

“I can’t believe you pay attention to that stuff.”

Soul shrugged and rubbed his chest absentmindedly.

“Have a little faith Maka.”

Maka drew her knees under her chin and rested it there. It’s not that she didn’t have faith. It’s just that faith was fickle. Better to be wary.

“Sorry,” she muttered.

Soul turned, his cheek resting against the bark of the tree.

“Nah, we’re cool.” He offered her a small smile. “You look like shit though.”

Maka grumbled, deciding to let it slide. She didn’t appreciate him commenting on it, but he wasn’t wrong. She hadn’t been sleeping very much or very well.

“I’m just a bit stressed.”

“No kidding.”

“My room has turned into creep catching headquarters and well, I mean who knows if he’s just watching the bathrooms. He could be anywhere. He could live here. It’s unsettling.”

Soul touched his shoulder to hers even though it obviously put his back at an odd angle.

“My offer still stands you know.”

 

 

Maka turned her head to see if there was any hint of hesitation or obligatory courtesy in his gaze, but he wasn’t looking at her. He was staring fixedly in the distance by the corner of the building. He tensed beside her and his fingers grasped her knee before pointing. Maka followed the line. Someone was skulking around by the door, stuck by the lock. Quietly she stood, offering Soul a hand to heave him to his feet. They glanced at each other before advancing slowly and quietly. Maka pulled her pepper spray out of her pocket and Soul did the same.

They approached the suspect in silence. Only a few feet away from him Maka made the call.

“Freeze! Campus Security!”

They all stood frozen like a photograph. Soul breathed deep, Maka took a step towards the suspect and the suspect bolted between buildings towards the car park.

“Shit!” Maka cursed, taking off after him.

“Keep an eye on him! I’ll meet you round the front!” Soul ran in the opposite direction.

Maka had neither the time nor doubt to question him. Her sneakers hit the ground harshly and she unzipped her hoodie, casting it aside in her wake. Bare arms pumped beside her torso, but she was barely holding their initial distance. Whoever she was chasing, he was an athlete just as trained as her. He raced through the car park and over the decorative bridge leading to the main campus.

“Shit, shit, chicken shit, fuck.” It was wasting breath but somehow couldn’t stop herself.

A sounds of a motor and bright lights behind her stopped her in her tracks. She spun around, blinded temporarily.

“Come on Maka he’s getting away!”

Soul’s voice, rough and out of breath, beckoned her forward.

“What’ve you got one of the security golf carts for?”

“Just get in!”

Maka slid in beside him and he floored it across the bridge.

“We’re not meant to use these off duty!”

Soul leaned his head out the window like a dog, eye scanning for the suspect.

“If we lose him because you were lecturing me Maka I am never gonna let you live it down!” Soul pressed down on the accelerator and the cart powered forward much faster than the eleven miles an hour it was meant to.

“What did you do to this thing?”

“Well we’re not gonna lose him are we.”

Maka stuck her head out her own window, pigtails streaming like ribbons on a kid’s bike slapping her in the face.

“Hard right!” she screamed, grabbing onto the cart to hold herself in place.

Soul followed her order without question, the golf car tilted but remained upright and the suspect came within range of the headlights.

“Faster Soul!”

“This thing doesn’t go much faster, it’ll overheat!”

“Just do it!”

Soul listened and Maka lurched back into her seat, losing her footing and toppling sideways.

“Maka!” he flung out his arm to catch her and hold her in place.

“I’m fine. I’m okay.” She brushed his hand away red in the face.

If she hadn’t almost been flung out of a tricked out golf cart head first she might have been more concerned that he’d incidentally (and accidentally if he knew what was good for him) copped a feel while steadying her.

The suspect was still in their headlights, weaving wickedly to try and escape the light.

“Stop running. You can’t get away!” Maka yelled at him.

He glanced over his shoulder and jumped off the road into the bushes.

“Off road?” Soul asked, already veering the cart.

“Do it.”

Maka steadied herself with both arms and they bounced off the concrete path into the gardens. They lurched dangerously and a quick glance sideways had Maka worried that the only thing keeping Soul seated was his grip (as white as his hair) on the steering wheel. The cart bumped up and Maka flung out at an arm to steady Soul, fingers curling around his chest as she leaned towards her window to offset the extra weight.

He grunted his thanks and she held him a little bit steadier as they bounced dangerously over the uneven ground. The carts weren’t built for off road use, but as they’d tipsily learnt after the inauguration ball earlier in the year the carts could manage, for a little while at least.

“How have we still not caught him!” Maka growled, leaning forwards.

If only the cart could go a little faster, or the suspect could run a little straighter, or maybe if she had something to throw at him... She released her steadying grip on Soul and leaned out her window.

“Maka what are you doing!”

“Just a little bit further.” she muttered, knees bending.

“Maka don’t!”

She let one arm go and her muscles tensed as she swayed slightly. She took a deep breath, calculating gaze switching between the ground and the suspect. Soul steered the cart around a bump, bringing them almost side on with the suspect. Her muscles tensed and bunched, ready for action.

“Maka!”

She jumped, Soul’s voice a dull roar at the back of her mind. She started to curl herself up for impact. The suspect glanced over his shoulder at her and screamed. She hit him at an angle and he toppled over. She curled up tighter and rolled over him across to the side. Ignoring the stinging ache up her right side she scrambled back to the suspect, pinning him to the ground.

“S-stop.” she panted, trying to get more air into her lungs.

The golf cart screeched to a stop in front of them and Soul was by her side. She rolled off the suspect, expecting Soul to take over. Instead the lights of the cart were blocked by something. She squinted as something propped her up carefully.

“Soul?”

“Are you hurt?” his voice was tight.

Someone groaned behind them.

“The suspect-”

“Fuck, are you okay!” His hand pushed her bangs away and he eyed her skin critically.

“I’m fine.”

She tried to sit up more without his help and winced as her arm brushed more firmly against his. Looking down, she realised the skin was grazed and torn up.

“You’re bleeding.” Soul sounded almost empty. Then he started swearing.

“It’s fine!” she insisted.

Another groan behind them and Maka tried to push Soul away. It was only some cuts and bruises for gods sake!

“Soul, the suspect.” she struggled a little to make him let her go and despite the pain down her right side shoved him away and sat up on her own.

“Don’t move.” he demanded.

“I’m fi-”

“Just give me a second and stay put would ya.”

Reluctantly Soul turned his back on her and pulled a zip tie from his pocket to cuff the suspect.

“Run again and I taze you.” he growled with one of his scariest faces.

The suspect squeaked and Soul whipped out his cell phone.

“Soul Evans, Campus Security 4242564 suspicious person apprehended on the path leading to Shibusen Hall requesting back up and first aid.”

He nodded once, muttered something and put the phone away. When he turned back to Maka, she realised the dangerous look he usually reserved for suspects hadn’t left his face. She tried to stand, but he stopped her, scooping her up in his arms with a small grunt. She squeaked in surprise.

“Soul put me down!”

He walked her over to the cart and set her down in it.

“What the hell were you thinking!”

He reached over her to the glove compartment and retrieved the supermarket brand first aid kit that protocol dictated must always be there.

“Well I got him.”

Soul poured some peroxide onto one of the two provided cotton balls and pushed it against the worst part of her arm. Maka hissed. He dabbed, only a little more gently.

“You jumped out of the car.” He wouldn’t meet her eyes.

“It’s just a golf cart.” she murmured guiltily.

“The fucking car Maka!”

“I caught him, didn’t I?”

Soul finally looked her in the eyes and she was taken aback by what she saw there. His already droopy eyes were narrowed to a knife’s edge, dull red irises were blurred by what might have been tears, his brow was furrowed. She’d never seen him look so angry, so hurt, so betrayed. He scoffed at her and laughed high, loud and slightly deranged. She flinched away from him and he let her.

“Soul...”

He turned away from her and stalked back to the suspect.

“Stay put. I can’t look at you right now.”

He sounded so detached she couldn’t follow him if she wanted to. Her hands curled into fists at her sides and she glared at his retreating shoulders.

“Don’t then!” she yelled after him.

He was meant to have more faith in her than this. Only minutes ago he had criticised her for not trusting him and now here they were, she unhurt and he convinced she was as inept and clumsy as a child. He had the nerve to start interrogating the suspect she had apprehended without any help from him. Bastard. Well if he wanted to make some phone calls and play the leader so could she. She didn’t have to wait for him to finish her job and take all the credit like he always did. She could make phone calls too.

First she dialled Tsubaki’s number and then when she didn’t get an answer, Patti’s. She didn’t bother whispering, speaking loudly and confidently requesting Patti come get her now. She watched Soul as she spoke. His shoulders tensed, but he continued questioning the suspect. She hung up and tried to look imposing and unimpressed without crossing her arms.

“Oi, this guy says you know him. Come check.”

Soul barked the order and as much as she wanted to resist Maka hauled herself to her feet, bit back a wince and joined Soul at the front of the golf cart.

“Maka Albarn, would you inform this Cretin, that I am not who you are looking for!”

Maka sighed and rubbed her temples.

“Hello Ox.”

Ox Ford, just as intelligent as Maka and the boyfriend of Kim Diehl resident of Maka’s building crossed his arms and smirked superiorly at Soul. Maka explained briefly who he was, frown and nagging headache worsening as Ox’s smile grew more smug.

“He could still be the shower pervert,” Soul reasoned.

“I don’t need any woman but my cute Kim!” Ox insisted. How he managed to speak down to them while being accused of a sex crime was astounding.

“You were trying to break into the building, then you ran.” Soul continued.

Maka rolled her eyes. She didn’t think Ox Ford was the creep anymore than she thought Black*Star the creep. It was being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Being an idiot didn’t help. Still, the evidence had to be followed until they were certain of his innocence.

“I was going to surprise Kim! No one could know I was there.”

“Why run?”

“How do you manage not to, looking at that face in the mirror every morning.”

If the comment bothered Soul Maka saw no trace of it in his expression.

“Maka?” Patti’s voice echoed down the path.

Maka called back to her and a car engine rumbled in approach. It wouldn’t be long before there would be too many people for Maka’s waning patience.

“You’re still coming to the security hub with me.”

Soul hauled Ox to his feet. Ox moaned and complained.

“Police brutality! She hit me you know! I’m injured!”

Soul’s eyes darted to Maka.

“I know.”

“Well you’ve got this under control.” Maka sniffed disdainfully and turned to walk into the darkness towards her friend. She didn’t turn to see if Soul watched her go.

 

\--

Soul met Sid by the cart and handed Ox off to him for processing. He followed the one Campus Security car in the golf cart, making sure to hit every pot hole and bump. It jarred his shoulders further and made his scar ache, but that didn’t matter. He hadn’t been able to stop her. Each jolt, potential bruise and stiff joint was his punishment, a physical reminder not to slack off again. His partner was single minded and reckless to fault. She forgot she was merely human, skin and bone and all too breakable. She didn’t seem to think so, but he knew it was true. If she had landed wrong she could have broken bones, been paralysed, died even. He was her partner. It was his job to watch her back, to keep her unharmed and dammit all to hell she made it hard.

He rubbed his pulsing scar one handed. He’d need a long hot shower and the better part of a tub of lotion to make it start to feel normal again. Usually he’d say the pain was because it was going to rain (he’d gotten good at predicting that), but it wasn’t that easy this time. He balled the fabric of his shirt into a fist. Each stab of pain reminded him that he couldn’t afford to fall short of his duties, of the consequences for failing. He should probably add a sleeping pill to his nightly routine. The dream would be back for sure. He’d seen her skin broken and bleeding once already tonight. He didn’t need it repeated on an escalated scale.

Sid asked no questions about the golf cart and Soul offered no answers. Together they questioned Ox some more before releasing him and signing off the paper work as quickly as possible. They worked in near silence and if Sid noticed anything amiss, he was a good enough man not to say anything.

“I’ll see you next shift Sir.” Soul offered, grabbing his helmet off the table.

“Got a minute?”

Soul paused and Sid took his cue.

“Why’d you choose Eater?” he indicated to the name painted on the side of Soul’s helmet. It matched the side of the bike he had built himself.

Soul shrugged. “Sounded cool at the time.”

Sid nodded thoughtfully. “Don’t let this eat at you. Remember, you’re the eater.”

“Thanks for the advice.” Soul headed to the door quickly.

“Don’t worry about it. That’s just the kind of man I am.”

\--

Soul was expecting not to hear from Maka for days, or at least until their next library shift (if he didn’t call in sick that is), but he woke up to a new email from her sent at the ungodly hour of six in the morning. A quick glance to his clock assured him that it had been sent two hours ago. Well she was already angry at him, another two hours wouldn’t make that much of a difference.

There was no message in the email, just a link. He hesitated. He didn’t think she’d stoop so low as to send him a computer virus, but she had been just as mad as him... He clicked it anyways. It re-directed him to a website he’d never seen before. It was only one page and there was one video box waiting to be played. He clicked on it and waited for it to buffer.

It was dark and blurred until someone rapidly refocussed the camera. Soul knew what he was looking at three seconds in. He watched Maka and himself rise from under the tree and stalk towards where Ox was messing with the door. The image cut to an elevated shot blurred by smoke, or steam. Soul’s stomach hit his feet as he watched a small girl step out of the shower and wrap a towel around herself. The video faded to black and two words of white text floated on the screen.

Nice Try.


	3. Part Three: Get Lucky

When Soul stopped by Maka’s dorm with a toolkit and cheap shower curtains after lunch, she acted as if the golf cart incident had never happened. Almost. Despite the chill spring air she wore a singlet, leaving her scabbing skin on display in silent rebellion. Soul grit his teeth and bore it. He wouldn’t gain anything from picking a fight now. After all, his sleeping pill had done the trick. There had been no nightmares, recurring or new.

While they hung the curtains over the windows, more of Kid’s electricians were installing a lock on the outer door. Now anyone needing to use the bathroom on a girl’s floor would need the key to enter. Despite the obvious inconvenience, no one was complaining. The girl in the video Maka had been sent had been identified as freshman,Tsugumi Harudori. She was one of the youngest in the dorms, still only seventeen.

Soul watched Maka twist the pressure rod harshly as she installed it. It looked like she was strangling it. Hell, knowing Maka she probably was strangling it pretending it was the neck of whoever was terrorising her home. Or his neck. She hadn’t spoken a full sentence to him since he arrived. He looped the shower curtain links into the fabric meticulously trying to focus on the task rather than the large and angry bruise on Maka’s side that peeked out when her shirt rode up. It looked like one he’d had a year ago the last time he wiped out on his bike. A phantom ache kicked up and he rubbed his side absentmindedly.  He should probably offer her some of the sports cream Black*Star had given him for it. If she’d accept his help after last night.

Maka gave the rod an extra hard twist and swore, dropping it and holding her wrist. Soul dropped the curtain and lunged for her, ready to catch the bar if it fell. Luckily it held and didn’t drop down to hit her on the head. Soul relaxed for a moment before freezing awkwardly. Maka didn’t seem to have noticed him. She was rubbing and bending her wrist experimentally.

“We still have another bathroom to do.” she muttered.

“Want me to have a look?” Soul asked cautiously.

Maka glanced at him, frowning slightly before extending her arm. He shuffled forwards and took her wrist lightly in his grasp. He poked at it experimentally before closing her fingers into a fist then testing the rotation of the joint. She hissed slightly and he stopped, holding her hand supported in his. He rubbed his thumb over the join of her palm and wrist, small clicks and giving muscles letting him know he was in the right area.

“Do you work as a masseuse now too?” There was still a bite of ice in her tone, but it wasn’t the worst he’d heard from her.

“Nah. Basic musician stuff. You play anything for more than an hour a day you learn how to get any ache out of hands.”

Maka nodded.

“Still hurts though.”

Soul risked a smirk at her.

“I’m not done yet idiot.”

Maka hmphed him but didn’t draw her hand away. He continued to try and work the strain out of her wrist, but it was a lost cause. What she needed to do was brace and rest it. He told her as much, not ceasing his massage lest their fragile truce be breached. Maka just sighed and leaned back against the wall. He stumbled slightly, forced to let go of her hand.

“Well there’s twenty dollars gone.” Maka glared at her wrist.

Soul shrugged. “If you weren’t so small I’d lend you one.”

Her glare turned on him, but it wasn’t too bad. He’d had far worse from her even in the past twenty-four hours.

“Well it’s not like being small is a free pass out of this situation.” Maka glanced at the shower rod resentfully.

Soul nodded thoughtfully and waited for her to continue.

“She’s only seventeen. She looks about fifteen. How could they? It’s not right!”

If Soul hadn’t seen Maka furious at injustice before he’d think she was crying because she was sad or scared. She was neither. At least, those emotions weren’t why she was tearing up and blatantly ignoring the thin tracks running down her face. Soul picked up his abandoned shower curtain and threaded the last loops. He hooked the curtain onto the rod and swiped it across the window blocking the view outside. It dimmed the late afternoon light and Maka’s hair shone true gold through the filter it provided.

“These girls are my family.” She crossed her arms across her chest despite the scabs on her arm threatening to break.

Soul rested a hand on her head, careful not to disturb her pigtails.

“We’re gonna get him. We are.”

Maka nodded firmly and brushed her tears away. Soul rubbed her head fondly before letting his hand drop back to his side. Maka turned to the sink and splashed some water on her face, lifting up her shirt slightly to dry it. The bruise was worse than he’d originally thought.

“I’ve got something that’ll help with that.”

Maka glanced over her shoulder at him before her gaze flicked down to her side.

“Yeah?”

He nodded. “Here.” he fished around in his pocket for his apartment key and handed it to her. “Come by and get it whenever.”

 

Maka hesitated and he crossed his fingers behind his back, hoping she’d accept the key for what it was: a peace offering and an apology.

“I can’t take this.”

Soul shook his head at her. “Keep it. You’re always welcome. Just crash if you need to.”

Reluctantly Maka took the key and put it safely in her own pocket.

“Well I guess I’d finally meet your brother.”

Soul smiled at her and bent down to pick up the final shower rod and his tools.

“C’mon, we’ll get you a wrist brace when we’re done.”

He could tell that Maka was on to him by the suspicious look she shot him. She’d try to fight him on it, but he had every intention of paying for the damn brace. At least then he’d be able to fix something.

\--

In the two weeks following Soul’s sneaky and stubborn purchase of her wrist brace, the shower curtains they had installed had been ripped down countless times. Maka was getting sick of waking up to a ruined job, having to thump back to her room to strap herself up before fixing the curtain. At first the other girls had helped her restore them religiously, but now they’d given up. Even Liz had told her to give it a rest. It was disheartening to say the least. No more videos had been emailed to them, the police hadn’t turned up anything new and no one had spotted a camera. Once again people were becoming complacent and thinking that maybe it was over. Even the girls who had been filmed were starting to lose their fire and let it go.

Even Maka was beginning to doubt. Despite the endless vandalism of her efforts to keep her girls safe was losing its power to enrage her. Still, she couldn’t help but wonder how much more footage the creep had that hadn’t surfaced yet. Just because they hadn’t found it didn’t mean it wasn’t out there. It made it hard to sleep and Soul’s occasional and always pointless three or four am texts didn’t help. He knew she couldn’t turn off her phone at night because it was her morning alarm. Jerk.

Maka sat with her chin resting in her hand in Shibusen’s study room, staring out the window and occasionally signing her name next to Soul’s on old reports. She should have been at the library doing research for Professor Gorgon’s final paper, but she had almost finished it weeks ago. The first outbreak of non-consented viral nudity had pushed her into the library for more hours than she thought. She barely had any college work to do, she’d finished so much of it early and read so far ahead. It had provided the distraction she’d needed then, but didn’t leave her with much now.

Maka glanced around the room once more and spotted Tsugumi. She gathered her papers and stood to walk over to the younger girl.

“Hey Tsugumi, mind if I join you-”

Maka’s face fell at the sight of a puffy eyed Tsugumi trying to hide her tears. Maka sat down slowly beside her.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”

Tsugumi shook her head, short pigtails bouncing slightly.

“It’s okay, I won’t laugh.”

“It’s silly. So many other girls have had it worse, but I just keep thinking about it. What if he saw more...”

Tsugumi shuddered and Maka put her arms around her.

“It’s not silly! You were violated, it doesn’t matter if he got more footage of other girls or not. You have every right to be upset.”

Tsugumi clutched at Maka’s arm.

“I wish I was as brave as you.”

“What?”

“Well you work so hard to make sure we’re all safe and you never let this scare you.”

Maka pulled back and smiled ruefully down at Tsugumi.

“I’m just as scared as you are, but I have people to protect so it’s not important that I’m scared. You guys are important, not me.”

Tsugumi nodded and something changed in her demeanour. Maka let her go.

“Hey Tsugumi, some of the guys have agreed to let the girls use their bathrooms and to watch the doors. There’s a group of us going down at about eight tonight if you want to come too.”

“Yes please. I’d like that a lot...can I bring my friends?”

“Sure.” Maka smiled. At this rate there may be too many girls, but she doubted Black*Star and the others would mind too much. It was becoming part of their routine.

“I’ll see you there. And, Tsugumi, we’re gonna catch him. Definitely.”

\---

Ever since moving into Shibusen Maka had become more of a morning shower person. The dorm rooms were stuffy and hot all year round and she often found herself waking up sweatier than when she went to bed. Still, she didn’t want to chance the showers on the girl’s floor. Her indulgent eight o’clock hair wash on the boy’s floor would have to last until her next trip to Soul’s or the Security Hub.

After an excess application of deodorant and perfume for her peace of mind Maka grabbed her bag and headed onto main campus to catch a bus downtown to the Death City Police Department. She didn’t really want to go all the way there, but Shibusen and Campus Security hadn’t heard anything new in over a week and she was getting impatient. She knew all too well how easily cases like this could get buried under “more pressing” cases. If anyone could keep her father on track, it was her. Though she’d probably pay the price for it. She may even have to go out to dinner with him, or worse go home for a weekend. She’d managed to avoid any trips home so far. She’d even spent last summer volunteering overseas and then travelling with her mother rather than go home for the whole three months.

As she entered the precinct and was waved through security and back to where the detectives had their desks Maka grit her teeth and steeled herself, always ready for a bright red armful of cheating father to hit her in an all too strong hug. Miraculously she found him before he found her. She was sitting at his desk, sipping his coffee when he emerged triumphant from an interrogation room. If he looked happy before he saw her, he was pure elation now. Maka stood up and sidestepped his hug, handing him his coffee instead.

“Hello Papa.”

“My precious Maka has finally come to see me at work! Everyone look at my baby girl all grown up! Hey don’t look too long!” his pride turned to guarded jealously as always.

“Papa, I’m here about the case at my dorm.”

The light in Spirit’s eyes dampened somewhat and he offered her his arm.

“Let’s get you your own coffee.”

Surprised by his seriousness Maka took his arm and let him lead her to the break room. He poured her cheap coffee from the pot and took a seat on one of the couches. She joined him.

“How’s college going? Are you learning lots and lots?”

“Papa stop. Tell me about the case.”

“Oh Maka we have time for that later, Papa’s dying to hear about your life!”

Maka frowned and set her coffee down untouched.

“Papa, this is my life. It’s my dorm, my friends, me for all we know!”

He sighed and Maka was pleased to note that she had won this time.

“It’s not you. The case has gone cold.”

“But the person vandalising the showers!”

“Yes, they might be involved, but there’s nothing more we can do without plain evidence.”

“But the original website!”

“It was taken down, the IP was untraceable, the signal just got bounced around.”

“Well there has to be something more you can do.”

“I’m sorry Maka.”

Maka sighed heavily and leaned back in her seat.

“Well I should probably go. I’ve got a lot of work to do. I just wanted to check in.” It was a lie, but she didn’t want to sit here feeling even more useless than she had before speaking with her father.

“No Maka wait! Um Papa can still help! Yes! Papa will take you to see Stein!” he shuddered involuntarily.

Maka eyed him warily.

“Stein can help I’m sure!” He rocked on the tips of his toes nervously.

“You know considering he’s been your best friend for over twenty years, you’d think you’d be less scared of him.” Maka answered.

Spirit smiled wide and goofy at her version of a yes before glancing to the elevator and shuddering.

“You’ve never had your little toes switched in your sleep.”

Maka rolled her eyes and followed him out the door.

“He only said that to scare you. It’s not possible.”

Spirit shook his head and muttered under his breath. Not for the first time in her life Maka wondered why, if Stein was as big a menace as her father made him out to be, the man had been made her godfather.

 

Menace or not her father saw it fit to leave her to take the short elevator trip down to the morgue and labs by herself. So much for fatherly concern. Still, she didn’t mind the morgue or its MD nearly as much as her papa. Even when she was a kid, she liked coming down here and watching her godfather catch bad guys with science. It had been a lifeline for her the summer she broke her leg and was convinced she’d never walk again. To still be able to kick bad guy butt without actually having to kick was quite a concept to an overambitious and wheelchair bound seven year old.

The squeaking of a swivel chair alerted Maka to the presence of her godfather and she stepped to the side of the elevator just in time for him and his chair to crash where she had been standing.

“Hello Maka. You haven’t been here in a while.”

He stared at her upside down, his glasses somehow not skewed across his scarred face. Maka bent down to help him up, but he had already righted himself and pushed the chair back into the lab.

“How can I help you today?”

“You know that pervert case at my dorm? Well I need to get some proof that someone is vandalising our attempts to stop them.”

Stein nodded.

“Well that’s easy, you just need some surveillance equipment.”

“We don’t really have that in our budget.”

“Nonsense, I’ll loan you some. No one here appreciates it anyways.”

Stein wheeled himself over to a storage cupboard and lifted a silver case out of it. He flipped open the lid to show Maka the contents.

“All you need is a power drill to install the bigger ones. The small ones should stick fine on their own unless they’re in a damp area. Instructions are at the bottom. Any questions?”

Maka shook her head, hardly believing her luck and accepted the case from him.

“Thank you!” she leaned over to hug him and he patted her back once before letting go.

“Stay in school and before you go, you should come over for dinner some time. Marie’s been nagging me to invite you.”

“So you’re still dating her?”

Maka was surprised. Stein’s relationships rarely lasted past the first month or two. He was too absorbed by his science to really commit, but for some reason despite his monotone voice, history of mental health issues, scarred face and prematurely grey hair, women flocked to him.

Stein shrugged. “Something like that. Just call ahead.”

Maka nodded and thanked him again before leaving. She snuck through the precinct to avoid her father. It wasn’t until she was halfway home that she realised she didn’t have any of the tools needed to install the surveillance. Her bus passed a familiar street and she pushed the stop button. It was only a few blocks to Soul’s apartment from here and as she patted her pocket she remembered she had a key. She wouldn’t even need to be a bother if he wasn’t home. She could just slip in, take the tools, leave a note and slip back out. It wouldn’t matter that she hadn’t been over since before the golf cart incident as long as she didn’t bump into him.

\--

Maka slid the key into the hole as quietly as she could. She turned it both ways, but getting nowhere pulled it out, flipped it over and tried again. Still no luck. Huffing and drawing up a selection of curses she continued to fidget and fight with the door. Finally she turned it the correct way and it clicked open, swinging gently inwards. Despite her open invitation Maka couldn’t help but peer in nervously before entering and shutting the door silently behind her. She slid the key back into her pocket and left her bag out of the way by the door where she knew Soul dumped his. It wasn’t there so she assumed she was in the clear. Self-consciously,  she wandered through the apartment towards the linen cupboard the Evans’ brothers used for storage. She had barely made it past the entrance when she heard the TV. She froze before shaking her head and reminding herself that she was welcome anytime and not to be so stupid. She followed the noise a few more steps until two heads of impossibly white blonde hair came into view.

From behind Maka almost couldn’t tell them apart. They were absorbed in a game of Wii Tennis, both grunting and smack talking like the pros. It was kind of funny really. A small laugh escaped her and the brother on the left turned, startled. Soul stared at her as if he wasn’t sure she was really there. The brother on the right, the elusive Wes, scored another point and whooped in victory.

“Take that little brother! Your winning streak has been broken!”

Soul made an incomprehensible noise in the back of his throat.

“Aw c’mon kiddo it’s just a game, not the end of the world.”

Wes turned around to see what had his little brother so distracted and raised an eyebrow confused. If Maka hadn’t already been rooted in place with indecision and embarrassment, the sight of the two Evans brothers would have had the same effect. Their appearances were so similar that they could have passed for twins. The only real difference was that Wes wore his hair much longer and straighter than Soul’s and that his eyes were blue rather than burgundy. The silence weighing heavy on her, Maka cleared her throat.

“Hi.” Maka tried to pretend she wasn’t blushing as she waved awkwardly at them.

Soul nodded and gave her an equally awkward wave back. Maka groaned inwardly. He must be mad at her. Sure he had been a perfect gentleman and extended every peace offering towards her, but if he was this uncomfortable to have her in his house than surely the rest had been an act so they could continue working together. This was a mistake, a terrible idea.

“Well kiddo are you gonna introduce us or not?” Wes smiled broadly and walked around the couch to shake Maka’s hand.

Seeming to come back to himself Soul followed and cut between them to stand at Maka’s side. Maybe he wasn’t so mad.

“Maka, Wes. Wes, Maka.”

Wes took Maka’s hand and she gripped it firmly while shaking the way her mother had taught her.

“A pleasure Maka. Soul you never told me you were seeing anyone.”

Maka daren’t look at Soul, but she had a feeling that both their faces were equally red.

“I’m not seeing anyone, she’s my partner.”

Wes’ eyebrows raised in surprise and he clapped Soul on the back.

“Partner? Well if it’s that serious why haven’t I met her before?”

“On campus security. My partner on campus security, I told you.” Then under his breath so that he thought Maka couldn’t hear “You’re just being a fuck-wit on purpose aren’t you?”

Despite her own embarrassment Maka couldn’t help but enjoy watching Soul squirm. It was a rare enough sight.

“You told him about me?” she goaded innocently.

Soul shot angry red fire-bolts at her from his eyes, or she imagined he would if he could. Before Wes could interject again Soul rubbed at the back of his neck, mussing his hair further and grunted,

“Course I did. We’ve got that big case and all. ‘sides, I had to let him know not to call the police if you showed up needing somewhere to stay.”

“You asked her to move in?” Wes winked at Maka over Soul’s shoulder and she had to cover her mouth to stop her laughter escaping.

“Sure, then you can finally move out.” Soul shot back cheeks as red as his eyes.

“You wound me, kiddo. So Maka what can we do for you? I don’t see any bags, unless you’ve got them outside?”

Maka shook her head. “No, your room is safe. I just came for the toolkit.”

“Well you found him.” Wes smiled and clapped Soul on the back.

Soul shrugged him off with what may or may not have been a quiet ‘fuck you’.

“I’ll go get it.” Soul shot his brother a warning look before all but jogging towards the linen cupboard.

Maka and Wes stood in silence for a moment.

“So Soul says you travel a lot?” she offered.

Wes leaned against the kitchen island.

“I’m with the New York Philharmonic. I’m part of the touring group at the moment. I like to spend my down time here though.”

“That’s incredible! I love New York!”

“You’ve been?”

Maka nodded enthusiastically. “My mama lived there for a while. I spent some time with her there.”

There was a pause to smile at common interests.

“So, why have an apartment here then?”

Wes’ smile dimmed somewhat.

“I like being based here. Someone’s gotta keep an eye on him.” he inclined his head down the hallway where Soul had appeared again.

“He does alright on his own.” Maka was surprised at how proud she sounded.

Wes fixed her with a serious gaze.

“He’s better with people around. You look out for him right?”

Taken aback Maka bristled slightly. “Of course I do! He’s my partner.”

Wes looked like he wanted to say more, but Soul interrupted, letting the toolbox drop heavily by his feet.

“What needs fixing now?” he asked.

“It’s okay, I can do it. I just needed the tools.”

“Nah, I’ll help you out. You got your jacket?”

Maka delivered him a flat look that clearly stated no she did not have her jacket. She only ever took the leather one out when she was expecting a ride on his motorcycle. Soul exhaled heavily from his nose and started shrugging out of his, holding it out to her. Startled by his abruptness Maka took it without a fight.

“Here. C’mon.”

He picked up the toolbox with one hand and planted his other firmly between her shoulder blades to steer her out of the apartment.

“It was nice finally meeting you, Maka.” Wes called after them.

Maka only managed a wave before the door was shut behind them. She wasn’t sure she could have said much more if she had the chance. There was something in Wes’ tone that had bothered her. Maka had never known much about her partner’s past outside that he didn’t get along with his rich, society family. It had never been an issue for her before, simply Soul’s business and irrelevant business at that. Now it was niggling at her.

“Soul?” Maka zipped up the oversized jacket on by the kerb.

“Maka?” he replied, shoving the toolbox into the saddlebag.

She hesitated for a moment, selecting her words carefully.

“Do you like living alone?”

He shrugged and handed her a helmet. “It suits me.”

“That’s not an answer.”

He put on his own helmet and straddled the bike.

“Are you coming or not?”

Maka sighed, pulled out her pigtails and fit the helmet over her head. She climbed on behind Soul, her arms wrapping instinctively around his waist, squeezing a little tighter than usual and pressing her cheek against his back.

“You’re not alone, idiot.” she muttered.

He revved the bike and tore down the street, stealing both her breath and any feeling in her stomach. Still, it hadn’t stopped her from noticing how quickly his heart had beaten at her declaration.

\---

At midnight, Soul had suggested bedtime and Wes had countered with just one more episode lil bro, just one more. At one am, Soul had suggested some warm milk and jazz music to which Wes had countered, but there’s only one episode left. At two, Soul was fed up, more than ready for sleep and not catering to his brother’s lunacy any more.

“Aw come on Soul, just the season opener! I haven’t seen you in ages, spend time with your poor big brother! I’m still jet lagged, I miss you!”

Standing in front of the TV to turn it off manually Soul shot his brother a glare over his shoulder.

“You’re not even trying with the jet lag Wes! Get your sleep schedule together, dipshit.”  

“Well that was just uncalled for.” Wes snatched the remote from his armrest and turned the TV back on.

Soul turned to volume down very low.

“Get it together, man!”

Wes sighed heavily and turned it off.

“If you insist, but this means you have to cook breakfast.”

Soul grumbled and ranted under his breath about anything to get you to shut up and go the fuck to sleep. Wes ruffled his hair in passing, chuckling.

Finally in his room, Soul crossed to his desk and the computer that sat there. Before turning it off he decided to do one final check of his emails in case any of his shifts had changed since he last checked that morning. After some junk mail there was one from an email address he didn’t recognise. He opened it, blood freezing when all it contained was a link. He deliberated for a moment, wondering if he should open it on his own. Last time it was Maka who received an email like this. She’d want to know he’d received one too. Then again, it was two in the morning. It could just be spam. A cat video or a Vine. He repeated the possibility to himself as he opened the link even though he doubted it was true.

The link directed him to a website like the one the shower creep had used before. There was nothing on the page but an unloaded video box. Barely breathing, Soul pressed play. The image was grainy at first, angled from above like the Tsugumi video, but it quickly focussed to a higher quality. It didn’t look like any of the bathrooms he and Maka had been in. A boy exited it, someone Soul didn’t know. That would explain it. The boy’s floors hadn’t been renovated yet. Their showers and toilets were still all in single cubicles and stalls. The camera’s angle allowed a view into about half the showers.

Black*Star’s head came into view then he waved someone in and retreated. Soul cursed when a group of about six girls entered in bathrobes and towels carrying soaps and shampoos. He looked for faces he recognised. His gut twisted. They were all friends of Maka’s. He paused the video, nose almost touching the screen as he scanned for one girl in particular. Damnit! Why did there have to be other blondes? Reluctantly he hit play and the video sprang back to life, quality of the film somehow improving. It blurred for a moment as the focus readjusted. Fearful rage rose up through Soul in a wave as the high quality feed confirmed his fears.

On film Maka smiled, laughing at something someone had said before taking off her bathrobe and hanging it on the hook outside the door. The camera followed her slowly, making sure to get a good shot of her breasts (on the small side but undeniably well shaped) as she turned to enter the shower. Sure, he had wondered about those breasts, not that he’d wanted to, but this was beyond wrong. He hit his desk, considered hitting himself. He should look away or close the webpage, forget he’d ever seen anything. But that wouldn’t be right either, Maka had a right to know that this existed. While he deliberated, the camera zoomed out so that all of the girls were visible in some way, soaping themselves up, lathering away in innocent oblivion. He tried not to look, not to be anything but clinical and detached. That didn’t stop him from noticing a tattoo in the middle of Maka’s back, placed just beneath her shoulder blades. A pair of angel wings unfurling where her shirt would always cover them. Soul hit his table again. This was wrong. This was not how he was meant to find out something like that about her.

The screen faded to black leaving behind three words designed specifically to taunt and haunt him.

Small but satisfying.


	4. Part Four: Video Games

At eight-thirty Maka looked up from two hours worth of readings for Professor Gorgon’s class and realised that she’d missed the time the girls had been heading down to Black*Star’s floor to shower. With a sigh she closed her textbook and the slid her print outs into the front cover for safe keeping. She looked to the clock again and weighed her options. She didn’t have a shift the next day so using the Security Hub locker room wasn’t an option. By the time she called Soul or got a cab to his place herself and then showered, it would be so late she might as well stay and there wasn’t a spare room for her at the moment. She sighed, there was always going across to the next building and asking Black*Star to clear the bathroom for her. She had no doubt he would (even if he’d be loud and obnoxious about it), but it hardly seemed fair to do for just one girl. There was nothing for it, she’d have to take her chances with the bathroom on her own floor.

Maka held her robe tightly around herself as she entered. She was wearing her skimpiest bikini (a Spring Break present from Blair) underneath it just in case. No amateur pornographer was going to catch her naked in the shower! The shower curtain she and Soul had installed had been ripped down again and with a heavy sigh Maka simply bundled it up and rested it by the sink. She peered out the window carefully, searching the dark horizon for any sign of someone watching. Shaking her head Maka turned the water on and discarded her robe. She didn’t need to wash her hair, she could be fast.

The water was warm and the room so uncharacteristically quiet that Maka couldn’t help but relax. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been somewhere so quiet. Probably the last time she’d stayed over at Soul’s. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back and let the water run down her chest, ignoring the slightly icky feeling of damp swimsuit on her skin and the Spring Break memories it brought back. She frowned and her eyes opened. Memories of a too long day at the beach followed by a night of being locked out of their room and no dry clothes to change into were not relaxing. Still, it was better than a loud un-renovated boys’ bathroom guarded by an obnoxious idiot (even if that idiot was one of her oldest friends). She admired the bathroom with its new tiles, large mirror and lockable doors. It was almost perfect. The misplaced electrical wiring holes were a shame. She wondered if birds or bugs were nesting up there. It wouldn’t surprise her. Maka stared at the largest hole. Something could easily hide up there. Thoughtfully she turned the water off and stepped out. She wrapped her towel around herself and moved to stand under the hole. It was darker in there than it was outside. Very easy for something to hide up there. She put down the toilet lid and stood on it, reaching up precariously on her tiptoes to get a closer look at the hole.

Up close it wasn’t so dark that she couldn’t see into the hole, but something was blocking her view. Tentatively she poked her fingers in. They brushed against something glass. She flinched back before reaching in again. Her fingers passed over the glass to plastic. She tugged lightly and the mysterious object pulled out a little further in her hand. Under the fluorescent light of the bathroom a small camera sat in her palm, like a bomb waiting to blow. Numbly Maka turned it over. A thick internet cable was plugged into the back and disappeared into the hole, no doubt connecting to the wifi box in the small common area next door. Maka unplugged it and scrambled back down. She left her shampoo and soap in the shower her hand clenched tight around the camera instead. She dressed in calm silence, a fresh t-shirt and skirt from her closet. She laced her boots quickly and turned to her phone.

“Stein. I’m coming in, keep the lab open. I found a camera.”

\---

Maka’s sub par precinct coffee had gone cold while she waited on Stein’s computer to finish encrypting and uploading all the information stored in the camera. She leaned against a table which had probably displayed dismembered body parts earlier in the day and snacked on Oreo truffles made by Marie. The two women waited together and despite her earlier protests that the truffles were for everyone else and not her, Marie had started snacking too. Maybe it was a sign of solidarity, maybe it was just because the truffles were damn good. Maka didn’t much mind either way. It was nice to have some almost motherly company.

“Still translating for the FBI?” Maka asked quietly. It wasn’t exactly asking after her mother, but then again it wasn’t not.

Marie sighed heavily, slumping slightly so her golden blonde hair fell across her face.

“Back to teaching high school German.”

Maka nodded, not wanting to pry if it was a sore spot. Her phone buzzed, but she ignored it.

“Do you know what the average high school teacher makes Maka?”

Before Maka could hazard a wary guess Marie barrelled on ahead, eye not covered by a patch suddenly intense.

“It’s not ideal Maka and most of the teachers are women anyways! I’d look to the parents, but single fathers are never the ones who come to parent teacher conferences. It’s slim pickings Maka, you find someone with prospects when you’re young! It’s not easy being an unmarried woman in your thirties!”

Her hands gripped Maka’s and Maka smiled nervously. Marie was rather dressed up for a Wednesday night. Her hair had been blow-dried into perfect waves and despite the modest neckline of her black dress a long slit ran up its side to reveal tanned legs and low gold heels. Maka was beginning to wonder if she had interrupted what was meant to be a special evening.

“And how do you feel about what Coroners and Lab technicians make Marie?”

Stein reappeared with papers in his hands no more dressed up than usual. Sweater, lab coat and glasses as old as Maka let her hope she hadn’t interrupted anything important. Then again Stein was never one to conform to expected norms like dressing up for a date.  

“Oh you shut up and stop looking at me like you want to dissect me.”

“Maybe later then.” Stein deadpanned in his usual monotone and poked her stomach lightly.

Maka raised an eyebrow at the flush creeping up from under Marie’s high collared dress before focussing in on the papers her godfather was carrying. Her phone buzzed again, but it barely registered.

“Your camera was sending a feed to a website whose origin I haven’t been able to trace.”

Stein handed Maka the report. It contained a lot of computer and science jargon that she didn’t understand and she flipped through pages of results to the conclusion and summary at the end. He continued to speak over her flipping.

“It’s not the same website that sent you the video of Miss Harudori, but it’s bouncing our trace attempts in the same pattern so it’s safe to say its been made by the same people.”

Maka nodded.

“So you don’t have any new information then.”

“I never said that. The website the camera streams to is encrypted, you need a password to enter. I imagine they only had some videos up for public access and then membership was required for more.”

“Have experience with those sorts of things Stein?” Marie interjected with a sense of superiority.  

“I assure you Marie that I have always been able to find experience elsewhere. Now Maka, the website itself seems near unbreakable, I’ll need much more time if I can even manage to break through. There is however an address. It seems there is a bar where on certain nights you can meet someone to gain access to the full site. Alternately, they accept all major credit cards.”

Maka skimmed through the report to find the name of the bar. Chupa Cabras. It wasn’t too far from campus, a sports bar that bordered on strip club with what they made the wait staff (all female) wear.

“My RA works there.” Maka said quietly, preoccupied and adamantly ignoring her phone.  

“Is it possible that she could be involved?”

“No!” Maka paused, an idea forming. “But she could help us get involved...”

Stein shook his head.

“Maka I know you’ve been given to investigate and secure Shibusen Hall but this is a police matter and now it has left the bounds of the University, it’s also left your control. This evidence will be given to your father in the morning and we’ll contact you if we need anymore help.”

“But Stein! I dropped my game. I wanted it to be over so I accepted the profile Professor Gorgon constructed even though she didn’t have all the information. I have to do this. ”

Stein paused, staring at her calculatingly from over the rim of his glasses. Maka fell silent, fearing she’d pushed too hard. Before she could try to salvage her argument, or even accept defeat and apologise, Stein pushed his glasses up his nose and smiled reassuringly at her. He took the papers and stapled them together, leaving them on the desk behind him.

“Maka this is the protocol there’s nothing more you need to do. Do you need a ride back to Shibusen?”

“No, I can get back okay. I’ll call a taxi.”

Marie nudged Stein and he ignored her.

“If that’s what you want to do. You don’t mind locking up after me do you? I have to take Marie home.”

“Stein!” Marie hissed under her breath, jabbing him in the side.

Stein brushed her aside and Maka eyed them, unsure.

“Sure, but don’t you want to do it yourself?”

Stein dismissed her with a casual wave. Maka studied him warily, not sure if it was technically against the law or not for him to leave her here alone.

“Wait here until your taxi arrives, it’s fine. Feel free to use the computer to pass the time. Good night, Maka.”

Marie looked like she wanted to protest but Stein took her arm in his and lead her out of the room. Maka watched them go, confused. It was obvious there was somewhere they’d rather be, but to leave her here surrounded by all sorts of police evidence and equipment alone. He even said she could use the computer. Maka wasn’t sure that anyone other than Stein or one of his lab-rats had ever been allowed to use the computer. Her phone started buzzing again, just a short few cycles to alert a text message. She pulled it out of her bag, ready to give anyone calling her this late (was it already midnight? How could it be midnight?) a hiding. There were a slew of notifications. Her phone hadn’t lit up like this since the initial reports of the shower videos. She scrolled through them, all missed calls, all from Soul. Without reading his most recent text she hit his speed dial number.

There wasn’t time for all the horrible situations of him or Wes hurt and in need of help to run through her mind before he answered.

“Maka where the hell have you been?” he growled on the other end.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay? Is everything okay? Do I need to meet you somewhere?” she asked over him.

“Would you just check your goddamned email woman! I have been worried sick! You always answer your phone where the fuck have you been I thought you were lying in a ditch somewhere! Oh god, don’t kill me when you see it! I didn’t know what it was until it was too late and you need to get this to your dumbass dad because this is bad! It’s bad okay. It’s bad and I’m sorry and fuck where have you been?” He barely paused for breath and Maka heard him inhale deeply before repeating slower.

“You need to check your email. I got sent a link to a video.”

Maka’s throat went dry.

“Maka? Are you there? Are you watching it?”

“I have to hang up to watch it. I’ll call you back.”

“Maka-”

She ended the call and ignored the incoming call he sent right back to her. Not daring to use the police computer until she knew what she was looking at, Maka opened the email app on her phone and opened the new message from Soul. It took the video a few very long minutes to load and when it did Maka wasn’t sure whether she was quivering for fear or anger.

She had to send her father the video. It was evidence. She was evidence. Footage of her naked body was evidence in an ongoing investigation, was on some creep’s computer, was potentially on the internet uploaded and lost to cyberspace forever. There was no retrieving it. There were no negatives to burn. If it was on the internet it could be saved, shared, re-uploaded. It could follow her for the rest of her life, impact jobs, relationships. It could ruin her. It could ruin her just like all her friends had potentially been ruined. Like she’d never considered until it was her body caught on film. She stared at the phone, forwarded the email to her father’s work inbox on reflex. It wasn’t just evidence. Not this time. Everyone involved in the case would be able to or have to watch it. Her father, her godfather. Oh lord. It was one thing to have home videos of two year old Maka taking a bath to re-watch on nostalgic nights. Twenty year old Maka, no father wanted to see that. No male relative, no... Oh. Her fingers clenched around the phone. Soul had seen it. Not only had he seen it, he had been sent it. Whoever was orchestrating the whole thing knew them, knew who they were. Now it was personal for their criminal. The phone started buzzing in Maka’s hand and she jumped, glancing down at Soul’s completely unimpressed face. She let it go to voicemail.

Whoever was behind this knew who they were, who she was. She knew where he organised meetings, how to find him. Somehow the two had to converge in her favour. There had to be some way to use the direct targeting of her to her advantage. She was Maka Albarn, daughter of the Death City Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, top of her class kindergarten through college, student of criminal psychology.  If anyone could make this work it was her. So she would. She sat down at Stein’s desk and pulled out a yellow legal pad and a pencil. She started scribbling notes, everything they knew about their amateur pornographer, everything they knew about the website. He was doing it to make a profit, there was no thrill of being caught involved in his actions. He had been detached and clinical until Maka and Soul had started investigating. Something about their persistence had made it personal for him. He had taunted them once and now targeted them. He was trying to scare them off so they must be close to discovering something important. Now she had found one of his cameras, he was bound to retaliate unless she gave him reason not to.

She pulled up investigation files on the computer, made more notes, ignored the constant buzzing of her phone. She wrote down what little she knew about Chupa Cabras and questions to ask Blair when she got home. It was a sports bar, a largely male domain. It had to host free drinks ladies’ nights to bring in women. The men that frequented there were not usually the kind you’d want to take home to meet the family. Maka knew about as much as she didn’t. What are the busiest nights? Are there rooms that can be booked for functions? Are there regulars or groups the owner is particularly friendly with? As she wrote down questions and facts a plan emerged from the information. She ripped another sheet from the pad and started making new notes, plans, potential pit falls, lists of everything she’d need before going in. Only once she had a neater copy ordered under headings with keys and footnotes did she answer her phone. Before Soul could start yelling at her again she talked.

“Soul. I have a plan. I’m going back home to see if its a good one. Don’t wait up, I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Maka-”

“I’m fine.”

She hung up and called a taxi company, glad that their town had a twenty-four hour service that actually didn’t mind being called at almost one in the morning. She had never been more awake at the hour and never more grateful not to have class the next day.

\---

Whenever Patti snuck into their room at half past one in the morning, neither Maka nor anyone else on their floor ever thought anything of it. Apparently when it was Maka who didn’t appear until nearly two in the morning it was news enough to keep the entire floor awake with worry. Maka entered a crowded dorm room and a cacophony of where have you been’s. It had already been a strange night, Maka wasn’t going to try for normal now.

“I was filmed. I believe he wants to blackmail me.”

This roused a whole new round of questions which Maka answered, trying to omit how she came by the video. Anger turned to apprehension to concern. Maka could see it on each girl’s face when she realised what Maka being filmed meant for her personally.

“But kitten, your papa...” Even Blair was demure.

“I know...” Maka hesitated before moving forwards. It wouldn’t help to fixate on it. “But I have a plan. We can finally catch him, but I’m going to need your help Blair and all of you.”

Blair nodded and the room quietened.

“I’m going to infiltrate Chupa Cabras on the night he meets patrons of the website.”

“But he knows who you are!” Patti called out.

“I know. So that’s why I’m going to pretend that I want to cut a deal with him. I’ll promise to make the whole investigation go away, to maintain his cameras and keep his business running. That all I want is my video destroyed and a very small cut of the profits once I end the investigation.”

“Maka you can’t go in alone, that’s too dangerous.” Tsubaki’s tone was concern incarnate. She knew Maka well enough by now to know how determined and single minded she could be.

“I won’t be alone. Blair will be there.”

Blair smiled wickedly and nodded in agreement.

“And so will I.”

The room’s attention snapped to the door and the deep gravelly voice coming from it. Soul leaned against the doorframe lazily. He shrunk slightly under the pressure of so many eyes. Knowing how he felt about crowds and attention, Maka cleared her throat.

“Soul’s right. I won’t be alone. We can talk more tomorrow, it’s late and this will take some time anyways.”

If she had hoped that would clear the room she had hoped wrong. Everyone started talking around her. Soul tipped his head to side, gesturing for Maka to join him and peeled away from the doorframe. Maka picked her way through the crowd to join him just outside the door.

“You’re coming home with me.”

Soul was rarely forceful or bossy with her, but there was a determined set to his jaw that Maka wasn’t sure she liked or not. Or rather she liked very much, but didn’t overly appreciate at the moment.

“Soul I-”

“No arguments. He knows who you are. You’re a target now. You are coming home with me.”

Maka glanced at her watch. It was two now. She’d spent all her energy and brainpower back at the precinct.

“Please Maka.”

Soul was quieter, almost tentative. Maka sighed and nodded.

“Fine. I’ll just tell someone I’m going.”

\---

Maka was surprised when Soul lead her to a car instead of his bike. She shot him a questioning gaze when he held her door open for her. He didn’t answer it until he was pulling out of the driveway.

“It’s Wes’ rental. I thought if you wanted to bring some more stuff or something we might need the space.”

Maka couldn’t tell in the dark of the car, but his voice was just a little too high like it got when he was blushing. She looked at her handbag where it sat between her feet. It was all she had brought, the only additions her regular pill and vitamins.

“I’ve never brought more than a backpack.”

Soul twitched, his fingers dancing across the steering wheel.

“I just, well if you didn’t want to stay there anymore after what happened, Wes is gone in a few weeks and there’d be a room, but till then we could sort something...”

Maka hoped his odd eyes didn’t let him see in the dark because now she was blushing. She looked resolutely at her hands clasped in her lap.

“I couldn’t leave the girls behind. They don’t all have a- someone who- they don’t all have the same options.”

“I know. You don’t want to abandon your girls, but now that video is evidence and your dad is probably gonna have to see it and do you really want to risk that happening again?” His tone wasn’t cruel, but it wasn’t kind either.

Maka clenched her hands.

“I just won’t shower there. I’ll work it out.”

Soul’s shoulders slumped and his hands traced the steering wheel at a red light.

“Does he know about the tattoo?”

She hit him on reflex. She’d almost managed to forget that he’d seen the video too. It probably should have bothered her more than it did. She knew Soul wouldn’t have watched it if he knew. It had probably been like seeing a sister naked, not pleasant. Honestly she felt more strongly about the unfairness of it. If he was going to see her naked then it was only fair for her to see him. Not that she’d dare say it out loud.

“Ow! Driving!”

The light turned green as if to prove his point. Their eyes met and Soul quickly turned his gaze back to the road.

“Just trying to lighten the mood.” he muttered.

“Well don’t.”

It took another two red light stops for Maka to decide whether to indulge his question or not.

“Well he didn’t use to.”

Soul chuckled in the dark.

“Why the wings?”

Maka shrugged. She had two versions of the story. There was the short and impersonal and the lengthy truth. Glancing out the window she figured there was another ten minutes until they reached the apartment. It was dark, it was late, if there was ever a time for the whole story it was probably now. Besides, if Soul laughed, she’d chop him and take the car for herself.

“It’s something from when I was a kid, back before the divorce. Stein, my godfather, he went through this kind of new age phase. He claimed he could see souls. I was only little so I said I could too and we’d sit on a bench in the mall and point to people and talk about what we saw. Mama and Papa had started fighting and I was outgrowing the whole soul thing, but he knew I was worried. I guess kids always blame themselves in those situations. He just turned to me and as serious as I’ve ever seen him told me I had an angel’s soul and to never forget my courage and compassion. I wasn’t doing so good for a while after the separation so I got this tattoo so that I’d remember not to lose myself.”

“How old were you?”

Maka counted on her fingers.

“Probably only fifteen or sixteen.”

Soul whistled.

“An illegal tattoo, that’s bold for a bookworm.”

“More bold than you! It’s not like you have any.”

Soul glanced to her, streetlights glinting off his burgundy eyes.

“What makes you think I don’t?”

Maka scoffed.

“I’ve seen you in a towel.”

And what a beautiful day that had been.

“Haven’t seen all of me.”

And if his voice sounded deeper and full of promise, she didn’t comment. A subtle shift of thighs under her skirt said it all.

\---

Things were certainly different with Wes around. Whatever had passed between them in the car disappeared when they exited it. Soul reminded her that he was trying to get Wes back onto a more regular sleeping schedule so they entered the apartment as silently as possible to avoid waking him. Not for the first time in his life Soul cursed his brother’s presence. Maka was as tight lipped about the details of her past as he was about his. Maybe if it had just been the two of them with the apartment to themselves their conversation could have continued. There was nothing he could do now except try to prove to her that she had a place, Wes or no Wes. Soul held a finger to his lips and whispered.

“I’ll take the couch, my room’s back that way.”

Maka frowned at him.

“Soul I’m the one intruding, I’ll take the couch.”

He shook his head furiously at her, white hair flying everywhere.

“Don’t be a hero, I’ll fit better anyways.”

“Maka you’re my guest.”

“I’m not your guest, I’m your friend.” She poked him in the chest, careful to avoid where she knew the scar to be.

“Maka just get in the goddamn bedroom will you.” It came out as more of a growl than he had anticipated.

She frowned at him and raised an eyebrow. He cursed quietly under his breath and spun away, neck and probably face bright red. Did he actually just say that? Like that? Out loud?

“Just, you know what I mean.” Nice save. Real smooth.

“So stubborn.” Maka muttered, shouldering him on purpose as she passed him, pausing to throw a quick “Well are you coming or not?” back at him.

He stared at her blankly, not quite believing his ears. How could she be so unaware of what that sounded like?

“Your stuff is in here isn’t it? Want a shower or something?”

Soul shook his head quickly to clear his thoughts, his oh so not cool thoughts. “Right.” Of course she had no idea what it sounded like. She was Maka- pure as an angel- Albarn.

Soul had never felt particularly self conscious of his room, but he did now. As he shut the door behind him he tried to subtly toe some wayward clothes under the dresser. It wasn’t that his room was messy, just that it was messier than hers. Not that that was saying much. If he didn’t know better, he might have thought she went to military school the way she kept her space so perfect and orderly.

Maka perched at the end of his bed, hands running over smooth black and grey striped cotton as she situated herself comfortably. Damn it all to hell if she didn’t look like she belonged there.

“So do you want first shower?” she asked.

What he wanted was for everyone to win and get first shower, but he couldn’t exactly say that.

“Nah, you go first. I gotta get my stuff together, tidy a bit.”

Maka hesitated but nodded and slid off the bed, wandering across the room to the second door. She pointed and he nodded and she disappeared behind it. Moments later he heard the water start and he furiously began tidying, or at least, getting all the dirty clothes off the floor and into the hamper. He was about to grab a spare blanket and head for the couch when the bathroom door opened slightly and Maka poked her head out.

“Pyjamas?”

“Right.” Soul turned away and scrambled through his closet for some clean boxers and the shirt she’d left here before that he’s been meaning to return for ages. Not finding it, he just grabbed one of his own and flung the clothes in her direction without turning around.

“Nice.” She deadpanned.

Quicker than he thought possible she was standing in front of him, wearing his clothes and smelling like his shampoo.

“Shower’s free.” She smiled brightly, but it was false wattage.

Soul nodded and headed for the bathroom.

“You know it’s weird.” she said and he paused. “I spend so much time here, but I’ve barely been in this room.”

Soul shrugged.

“Wasn’t much reason before I guess.”

“It’s nice. I can tell from looking it’s yours.”

“Sure you can dummy, it’s got all my stuff in it.”

Maka poked her tongue out at him and he made a flicking motion at her head.

“Go to sleep, it’s past your bedtime.”

Maka glanced at the clock and looked surprised to see it was already quarter to three. She wasted no time or arguments scrambling under the covers and turning out the bedside lamp.

“Night Maka.”

“G’night Soul.”

He had been sure that she’d be asleep by the time he was finished. He made sure to take his time so she would be, but still, somehow, when he emerged a quiet voice said,

“You really don’t have to take the couch.”

He paused, frozen in place unsure of what to do. He knew what he wanted to do and what it seemed like she was offering, but he didn’t want to push it. Especially after he’d seen that video, he didn’t want her to think he was taking advantage.

“Soul.”

He sighed. He’d never be able to resist her call. Besides, it was too late to argue. Slowly he slipped into the wrong side of the bed (of course she was on his side) careful to keep to himself. His bed was a queen, but it had never felt so small. He was terrified to move one finger too close to her. He lay on his back, hands resting awkwardly on his chest, still as a corpse. It wasn’t until Maka’s breaths came slow and even and she rolled over in her sleep that he managed to relax. As he drifted nearer and nearer to sleep he relaxed, limbs spread eagling and thoughts wandering. His hand brushed against hers and were he not so close to sleep probably would have jolted him awake. Instead he couldn’t help but think that if he woke in the morning to find he had her snuggled up against him instead of the spare pillow, well that was future Soul’s problem.

\---

There was a tickle at her side. Maka wasn’t awake enough to pay it much attention so she rolled onto her other side instead. Somehow the twitching tickle, now obviously on her waist, continued. She wiggled and shifted some more. The twitching turned to tapping and keeping her eyes stubbornly shut Maka brushed her fingers against it. Fingers, not her own, bunched in the fabric of her borrowed shirt. She was closer to alert now, but not sure if still dreaming or rising from. She heard whimpers, a groan. She groaned in response. It could not yet be time to wake up. She’d only just fallen asleep!  Too many of her mornings had been wasted in bed catching up on sleep lost to stress and the creep catching crew. The bunching at her side grew tighter, pulling the shirt against her uncomfortably. It was time to wake up and if it was three in the morning she’d just go back to sleep. Mind made up Maka opened her eyes. Soul screamed.

She startled and tried to roll away but found herself held in place. His grip on her shirt had tightened and now pinched her skin.

“Soul!” she yelled at him.

He just kept screaming, eyes still closed but darting furiously behind closed lids.

“Soul wake up!”

Maka squeezed the hand that held her fast and shook his shoulder with his other. He started thrashing under her, twisting and turning, jerking her around slightly with him.The door to the room slammed open and Wes crashed in, hair sticking up not unlike Soul’s after the daily gel routine. He pushed Maka aside without so much as a ‘it’ll be okay’ and held Soul’s torso down with his forearm while simultaneously pinching his nose. Soul just kept screaming and Maka clutched his hand at her side as hard as if he were her birthing partner.  

 

 

“It’s fine Soul. It’s just a dream. It can’t hurt you. It can’t hurt her. She’s fine. Wake up. Wake up now.” Wes spoke calmly and his movements were so precise Maka got the feeling this had happened before.

The screaming stopped. Soul jerked up, swatting his brother’s hands away and taking deep breaths. His shirt was soaked through with sweat and his eyes darted around the room in a panic. Wes sighed and climbed off the bed to lean against the wall, hands on his upturned face. Soul leaned forward and his hand moved in Maka’s, trying to pull away. Still shocked, she didn’t let it go. Soul glanced over at her and she noticed how wet his eyes were.

“Maka?” he croaked.

She nodded, not trusting her voice. He let out a deep sigh like when he finally set down an especially heavy stack of papers in the library. His fingers twitched in her grasp and flexed before he flipped his hand so their palms lay together and their fingers were laced. He slumped forwards, his forehead resting on her shoulder with a quiet thump.

“Sorry.” he whispered into her hair. “Sorry, s’not cool. Sorry. Sorry.”

Maka looked to Wes for help, but he was staring back at her just as bemused. Maka gave him a more desperate look and he stood.

“C’mon kiddo, let’s get you out of that shirt.”

Wes carefully peeled Soul away from Maka and lifted the shirt over his head. The scar had barely faded since the day Soul had got it. Maka had to look away. She could face it during the day when they were goofing off in the locker rooms after a long shift, but she could not face it tonight.

“You wanna talk about it?”

Soul shook his head.

“Water? Cocoa?”

Soul shook his head again.

“Then go back to sleep now.”

Soul nodded wearily and let Wes tuck him back into bed.

“Maka?” he asked like a child reminding their parent to leave a light on.

“She’s fine. Go to sleep.”

Soul’s eyes shut and before Maka could decide what to do with herself he was breathing deep and slow. Wes motioned for her to follow him out of the room. She followed him into the kitchen and took a seat at the island.

Wes shuffled around quietly, shutting cupboard doors slowly to avoid the noise. He winced at the clanking sound of the opening and closing refrigerator, but they heard no noise from Soul’s room so he carried on.

“I’d offer you some cocoa, but I never really got the knack of it like Soul. I can make a mean vanilla and caramel milk though.”

Maka nodded wordlessly and watched him methodically prepare two mugs.

“When he wakes up tomorrow he’s going to hate that you saw that.” Wes placed her mug in front of her.

Maka took a sip (it was delicious even under the circumstances) before asking, “What was that?”

“Nightmares, or night terrors. No doctor’s ever really been able to distinguish. He’s had them since he was a little kid.”

“That was awful.” Maka gripped her mug tightly.

Wes nodded.

“They’re worse when he’s stressed or worried about something and since... Well you know.”

Maka frowned into her frothy drink.

“Worse since the Ragnorak incident.”

Wes hmmed.

“It’s my fault then.”

“Don’t say that. He had them long before he met you. We figured out how to handle them and we get by.”

“But what about when you’re travelling? When you’re not here.”

Wes glared at a spot over her shoulder.

“He has breathing exercises. They’re only any good once he’s woken up, but one of the psychiatrists taught him how to manage. And now he’s got you.”

“Me? It seems like all I do is make it worse.”

“I’m the one that wakes him up and talks him down, but it’s not me he wants to hear from.”

Maka thought back to the irritating three am voice-calls and text messages Soul had sent her over the year. She always thought he had just been drunk or being a jerk. She rested her head in her hands. All year she’d been nagging him to stop it.

“I’m sure he’d understand if you want to leave.” Wes offered. “It’s a lot to take on.”

Maka’s head jerked up, her face stricken.

“You think I should leave?”

Wes held out his hands and shook his head vigorously.

“No! I think it would be better for Soul if you stayed, but you’ve gotta be comfortable with that.”

Maka considered for a moment.

“Will it happen again tonight?”

“Does it matter?”

“I want to be prepared.”

Wes almost looked relieved. “No. Only ever once a night if at all.”

Maka finished her drink in one gulp and nodded.

“Good night Wes.”

She turned for Soul’s room, sure she wouldn’t sleep a wink and instead watch him fearfully for the rest of the night waiting to jump to action at any sign of agitation.

“He’s lucky to have you.” Wes’ voice was quiet, but even through the closed door she heard him.

\--

Soul woke up to the sunshine in his face and an arm wrapped tight around his chest. For a moment it disoriented him and he rolled over carefully to find Maka Albarn’s face by his chest, nose red from where it had been pressing against his back. She was still wearing his shirt and for a moment Soul feared he had forgotten something truly monumental. Then he heard the echoes of screaming. Whether it was the memory of hers or his own he couldn’t be sure, but it sent a chill through him all the same. Beside him Maka stirred and he stilled, not wanting her to be awake, to leave, to pity him. He held his breath hoping she’d settle, but instead her eyes fluttered open.

She smiled unguardedly at him and with the sunlight illuminating her face Soul was sure he’d never seen something so beautiful shining just for him. He looked away. He was a thing of the dark and shadows. Last night had proved that to her even if she hadn’t already suspected. He didn’t want to see the light fade from her eyes or her smile drop to a frown. He just wanted to remember her like that forever. Especially if this was going to be the end of it all. Her hand snaked self-consciously off his back and to her side. She sat up and yawned dramatically.

“How are you feeling?” she asked nervously.

Still not looking at her Soul choked. “Fine.”

He made no move to sit up and she made no move to leave. It left them in an awkward stalemate.

Soul could almost feel her springtime gaze burning through his skin, shedding light and awareness where he had hoped there would never be.

“You scared me,” she finally said.

“You didn’t have to stay.”

He saw her flinch at his tone. Good. She was learning, finally seeing what he really was. Better she find out now rather than...later.

“I wasn’t going to leave you. We’re partners.”

He heard a shuffle of fabric and without looking knew she had crossed her arms tight and defiant against his pessimism.  

“We don’t have to be.”

“Soul... Eater Evans!” she snapped whacking him over the head with her hand.

“Ow! What was that for?” He jerked up and without meaning to his eyes met hers.

“You. Are not. Alone.” she lectured, tone stern and grass green gaze unwavering.

Soul looked away, focussing instead on the strands of her hair left on his pillow.

“You don’t even know my middle name.” he muttered.

“Tell me then.”

His gaze flicked back to hers before darting away to her hair once more.

“Soul.”

She shoved him.

“I knew it couldn’t be your first name.”

She spiked a half hearted glare at him before her expression softened.

“It doesn’t matter. You’re still my partner.”

“Even though I’m...the way I am?” He wasn’t sure he’d sounded so afraid since he was a child.

Maka glared at him fiercely. Fearing the worst Soul was taken completely by surprise when her arms wrapped around his neck and tugged him firmly to her chest.

“Idiot.”

He listened to her heart beat too fast for someone sitting still and his face warmed against the fabric of her borrowed shirt.


	5. Part Five: Anything Could Happen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains Giriko, which means that it contains a lot of potentially triggering content regarding sexual violence and assault, misogyny, violence and swearing.

The normalcy of her day surprised Maka more than she thought it could. She had a morning lecture and then nothing until a library shift from five to closing. In the interim, she found herself lounging on the lawn with Tsubaki while Black*Star and a coerced Soul worked simple maintenance jobs. She sucked on a popsicle absentmindedly enjoying the abnormally warm late autumn afternoon. Next to her Tsubaki started on her second. Maka watched Black*Star drop his end of the picnic table he and Soul were moving to wipe sweat from his brow. Soul yelled something incoherent and Black*Star laughed at him. He discarded his shirt before picking the table back up and continuing its journey. Maka snuck a sideways glance at Tsubaki whose gaze was fixated on Black*Star.

“I could stare at that for years.”  

Maka wasn’t sure if her friend meant to say that out loud but scoffed all the same.

“Trust me, it gets old.”

Tsubaki shook her head, cheeks pink. “I don’t think so.”

“If loud gym junkie’s your type.”

It sounded a lot meaner out loud than it had in her head, but Maka was confident Tsubaki knew she meant no harm. The boys had put the table down and Soul took a swig from a water bottle before tugging his shirt over his head and tossing it on top of Black*Star’s. Even from a distance his scar was unmistakably gruesome. That noted, Maka couldn’t help but notice how a healthy sheen of sweat tracing its path made for an image much less terrible than usual.

“Then what is your type?” Tsubaki replied slyly, subtly pointing her popsicle in Soul’s direction.

It was Maka’s turn to blush.

“He’s my partner. Besides you know I don’t date.”

Maka hoped her friend would leave it at that, but Tsubaki had that wicked gleam to her eyes that most people didn’t think her capable of.

“I guess you’re right. It’s not like you need to.”

Maka hesitated. That didn’t sound suggestive, it actually sounded rather supportive. Of course she didn’t need to date. No one needed to. Some people just wanted to.

“Exactly.”

Tsubaki’s smile looked suspiciously like a smirk, but that could have just been because of the popsicle in her mouth. She was back to watching Black*Star who with Soul’s help was now moving the second picnic table. It was closer to where the girls sat than the previous one. He noticed Tsubaki watching and flung one arm out in a huge wave.

“Hey Baki! Enjoying the show?”

Soul fumbled with the extra weight offloaded onto him for a moment.

“Would you focus you idiot, I don’t have to be here you know.” Soul snapped back.

Black*Star laughed at him and grabbed the table again. His loud voice carried to where Maka and Tsubaki sat as clearly as if he was sitting next to them.

“Sure you do. Pigtails over there needs someone to perv on. I’m too much god for her.”

“Black*Star!” Tsubaki chastised.

Maka barely heard Tsubaki. Her concentration was on the book in her hand and flinging it in a perfect arc to hit Black*Star’s stupid blue head. She was more than pleased when it hit its mark, resulting in him dropping the table completely and Soul swearing and dropping his end.

“That’s no way to treat your god, Maka.” Black*Star rubbed his head gently.

Maka crossed her arms and gave him a very unimpressed look.

“If you’re such a god you shouldn’t have felt that.”

“Who said I did!”

“Then get over here and finish moving this damn table,” Soul called out.

Black*Star’s head swung between Maka and Soul as if he were trying to figure out if they were secretly conspiring against him. Maka waved her popsicle at him. Warily, Black*Star joined Soul. They finished quickly and before Maka could say go away these aren’t for you they were sprawled out on the grass with her and Tsubaki, popsicles in hand. Maka sucked defiantly, determined to get the full enjoyment out of the cherry confectionary despite the boys’ rude interruption. Next to her Soul rolled over onto his stomach and picked at the grass. On her other side Tsubaki’s attention was entirely engaged with Black*Star. Maka turned away from them so she was looking directly down at Soul.

“Will you cover for me at work today? I’m gonna be a little late.”

“Why? You haven’t got class.”

“I’ve just got something to do. I won’t be more than half an hour late.”

He eyed her suspiciously and she looked away, taking a nervous lick of her now dripping popsicle. Soul made an unintelligible sound and she turned back to him.

“Did you say something?”

“No, it’s cool. I’ll cover you.” He sounded a little strained but he was probably just worn out from doing Black*Star’s job.

Maka poked at his back, leaving a dot of red popsicle juice on his skin.

“Are you falling asleep down there?”

He grumbled, but didn’t protest further. Taking that for an answer Maka started tracing popsicle patterns on his back. It started off as simple swirls, but by the time her popsicle was gone and its drippings had dried to her fingers she had almost recreated her tattoo on Soul’s back. It faded as it dried, but she could still see where the lines had been drawn. When she pulled her hands away Soul made a noise that sounded suspiciously like the whine of an ignored puppy.

“You didn’t draw a dick on my back did you?” he mumbled.

Maka flopped down on her back.

“Black*Star’s autograph.”

Soul jerked up, twisting around to try and get a good look.

“You did not!”

Maka laughed and shook her head.

“I didn’t.”

“Not cool Maka.”

He looked down at her with a pout, but she laughed on. He poked her waist sharply and she jumped at the ticklish sensation. A twisted smile snuck across his face and Maka held her arms out in front of her.

“Soul don’t even think about it!”

Soul’s fingers twitched and he leaned towards her.

“Soul I’m gonna kill you!”

He pounced, fingers breezing across her waist and stomach in feather light torture. Laughing through his ministrations Maka tried to roll out of his reach, but he just wrapped one arm around her middle and pulled her back to him.

“Soul!” Maka gasped between half breaths, hands trying to pry his away.

She wiggled in his lap, throwing him off balance and sending them falling backwards. His moments hesitation was all she needed. Her hands were on him before he could regain his composure. Her fingers danced across bare skin until she found a particularly ticklish spot on his ribs adjacent to the scar.

“Mercy.” Soul gasped between insanely uncool giggles, fingers weakly pushing at hers.

“Never!” Maka laughed, throwing her head back.

Soul’s leg was hooked over her hip and flipping her before she could pull away. She clutched to his chest on instinct and the world rolled with her. Suddenly looking up instead of down, Soul hovered over her breathing heavily. His burgundy gaze seared into her, but she found she couldn’t (or rather didn’t want to) look away. Slowly, aware that any sudden movement could sever whatever was between them, Maka moved her hand away from his chest. She traced the line of his scar as she went, not quite touching. The muscles in his abdomen jumped and she swallowed hard.

“Truce?” she squeaked.

Soul blinked slowly before seeming to become aware of himself, shaking his head quickly as if to shake water from his ears.

“Hey get a room or something!” Black*Star’s voice boomed loud and obnoxious across the lawn.

Maka felt her face go bright red and she pushed at Soul to get him to move. He groaned in annoyance and let go of her to push himself up into sitting position. Maka scrambled out from under him. Black*Star cackled and pointed.

“Shut up Black*Star!” Maka smoothed down her shirt and crossed her arms.

He continued without a care in the world.

“It’s not funny! That was war!” she insisted.

“Didn’t look like it.”

Tsubaki tugged at Black*Star’s arm whispering furiously to him. Before Maka could (or had to) think of a smart response Soul started yelping. They all turned to him. He twisted around, his hands clawing at his back.

“Fucking fire ants-OW! Maka! Do something!”

Maka muttered her own string of curses about damn fire ants and useless boys under her breath and joined Soul in attempting to brush a swarm of angry red ants off his back.

“Shit!” She gasped and sucked her finger when one bit her.

“Maka hurry up!” Soul’s voice was strained and panicked.

His back was quick becoming covered in angry red marks.

“I am!”

Maka ignored the stinging in her hand and went back to all but beating her partner’s back. Before she could make much more progress a loud YAHOO echoed through the lawn and she was hit by a wall of water. Maka staggered, trying not to lean on Soul and his fire ants for support. Black Star cackled somewhere nearby and Maka ran out of the stream of his power hose.

“Black*Star!”

Between laughs he managed to choke out,

“Had to get the ants off Eater somehow.”

Maka lunged at him for the hose, but he leapt out of the way spraying her in the face as he did. Maka stumbled and spluttered. Soul was at her side, keeping her upright before she had a chance to fall over. An entirely different yell came out of Black*Star as Tsubaki slipped the hose from his grasp and turned it on him. She giggled at his indignant screeches and shrieked when he reached for her, spraying him again.

“Get him Tsubaki!” Maka cheered.

She turned to smile at Soul, but he was gone from her side. She whipped her head around to find him and was buffeted by more water from behind. She spun around to face a smirking Soul. She glared at his toothy smile, hands clenching and unclenching at her sides before she pounced, chasing him for ownership of the hose.

“WATER FIGHT!” Black*Star screamed as he wrestled the original hose from Tsubaki’s grasp, his other hand wrapped firmly around her middle.

He was so loud that Maka would have been surprised if the people on campus hadn’t heard him over their lecturers. Like flies to honey Shibusen residents swarmed the lawn with water guns, buckets and any hoses maintenance had been remiss to leave lying around. Condom water balloons were improvised and some people stayed out of the direct line of fire, choosing to attack by throwing water out their windows instead. Somehow Maka lost sight of Soul in the swarming bodies and huffed, figuring he’d found somewhere dry and quiet to retreat to. Jerk. Instead she teamed up with Tsubaki, battling Black*Star for ownership of the powerhouse. Together they managed to get it off him. Though if Maka was being totally honest it probably had more to do with whatever Tsubaki whispered in his ear and less with brute force considering he handed it over with nothing more than a lecherous smile and a promise that he’d still get it back later. They’d deal with that when they had to. In the mean time they needed more than just the hose to survive what had broken out into no rules war.

Maka and Tsubaki let out a fierce battle cry as they hosed out some freshman from a condom balloon stash, claiming it for their own artillery. They high-fived and stood guard over it. A cold splash hit the back of her neck Maka whipped around, condom balloon in hand and sent it flying for Liz’s face. Liz ducked out of the way and Patti popped up behind her pelting Maka and Tsubaki.

“Get the stash!” Liz ordered.

“Grab some and join us!” Tsubaki countered.

Alliances unclear, all four girls scrambled for the pile.

An obnoxiously male voice interrupted their race. “Leave them.”

The girls froze mid-stride. They were surrounded by Black*Star and half of his floor. Each boy toted a water gun or an armful of condom balloons.

“No sudden movements. Stand and maybe we’ll have a wet T-shirt contest instead of annihilating you.”

Behind the boys, Blair stuck her head out from around a tree and so did about ten other girls. Blair smirked and tilted her miraculously dry, floppy hat to Maka. Maka nodded to her before making eye contact with Tsubaki, Liz and Patti in turn. They shared a look of stubborn determination. Standing closest to the boys, Liz tilted her head towards Black*Star’s roommate Harvar. Nudging Patti almost imperceptibly her head tilted towards Killik. Maka nodded slightly before turning to Tsubaki. Tsubaki smiled and for a moment it held the sharp glint of knowing that usually accompanied a suggestive comment. It settled into innocence before anyone but Maka would have a chance to notice. She straightened and clasped her hands behind her back, a wide warm smile on her face.

“Black*Star,” she admonished in that quietly supportive yet resigned tone only Tsubaki could muster.

“Sorry Baki, sometimes a god has to display his great powers. You understand.”

She nodded.

“Of course!”

And she leapt, arms around Black*Star’s neck forcing him to drop his gun and catch her. Liz dove for Harvar and Patti for Kilik. Maka ran for everyone else, knocking water guns from hands and claiming them for herself. Behind the boys Blair and the other girls rushed forwards, overpowering them. There was a universal shriek of victory before it was every woman for herself again and all semblance of ranks collapsed. Maka spun back to the pile of condom balloons, determined to salvage some for herself before they were all gone. Soul stood waiting, water gun in one hand and two balloons in the other. Maka pointed her gun at him.

“Don’t even think about it Eater.”

He shook his head at her.

“Have a little faith Maka.”

He pelted the balloons towards her, but Maka didn’t move. She was frozen in place, strangely confident in doing so. The balloons hurtled towards her, but she didn’t even flinch. Soul’s eyes had returned to her and he held her gaze. The balloons soared over her shoulder and directly into someone else’s face. Maka lowered her water gun but held eye contact, not willing to be the one to break it.

“Good aim.”

Soul shrugged and held out his hand, eyes never leaving hers. Maka took it and squeezed before spinning, gun at the ready at the sound of a shriek. Eruka Froge, resident advisor and editor/photographer of the Shibusen newsletter was doing her best to keep her expensive camera dry. Maka glanced back to Soul and he nodded.

“Eruka! Hey, you want some cover?” Maka offered as they approached her.

“Eep! Maka you scared me, but yes please!”

Maka and Soul took their places around her least defensible points and helped her navigate through the melee safely. Her camera flashed in Maka’s periphery and Maka took numerous hits in the name of defence. Luckily she didn’t have to be a human shield for long. The Dean of Shibusen Mira Nygus came out  and spoke firmly, putting an end to the fighting. Once Ms Nygus made the call for it to end everyone dropped their weapons on the spot. Not only was Mira Nygus formidable in her own right, she was also married to the head of campus security. No one ever crossed her. Not even her adoptive son Black*Star (who was the first to drop his weapon at the sight of his adoptive mother).

Eruka sighed in relief beside Maka and started flicking back through the photos on her camera.

“Thanks. I got some really good ones.”

“Don’t worry about it. You always do such a great job with the newsletter, I’m just glad we could help.” Maka smiled brightly at her.

Eruka smiled back. “Hey do you guys want one?”

Maka glanced to Soul who raised an eyebrow and took a half step back. She pouted at him. As shallow as it was she’d not yet had her photo in the newsletter and she kind of liked the idea. Soul sighed heavily before nodding and moving to stand beside her. He rested his water gun over his shoulder and Maka mimicked his action.

“Can you guys move a little closer together?” Eruka motioned to them from behind her camera.

They shuffled closer and Soul slung his arm around her waist.

“You better actually smile this time.” Maka chastised to distract herself from the sensation of his wet body pressed against hers.

“Yeah yeah quit your nagging.” The fingers gently squeezing her side belied any harshness in his tone.

Maka hoped she wasn’t blushing in the photo as she faced Eruka and smiled. There was a bright flash that left spots of colour in her vision and Soul’s arm left her waist, his fingers brushing hers lightly as his hand returned to his side. Eruka smiled down at her camera.

“Want to see?”

Soul twitched and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.

“I gotta get cleaned up for work. Later.” Soul walked away quickly without a backwards glance.

“Cover for me jerk!” Maka called after him. He waved briefly in acknowledgement.

Maka frowned and stuck her tongue out at his back. He probably thought that exit was sooo cool. Dork. She shook her head at his idiocy and leaned over Eruka’s shoulder to look at the photo. Perfectly framed from the waist up, guns toted over their shoulders like action heroes and soaking wet, the Maka and Soul of two minutes ago were perfectly captured on film. Maka’s cheeks pinked. Not because her white singlet had gone see through and her bright red bra was on full display or because of how the water glistened off Soul’s chest; muscles scar and all. She blushed because while she had been beaming at the camera oblivious to all else, Soul had been looking at her, head tilted down slightly, ghost of a smile kissing the corners of his mouth and unmasked adoration in his eyes.

“What do you think?” Eruka asked.

Maka swallowed, her throat tight for some reason.

“It’s great Eruka, thank you.”

“I can get you a copy if you want.”

Maka nodded, eyes on the screen until Eruka pulled it away.

 

 

 

\---

Maka arrived at work forty minutes late and out of breath. Soul leaned against the end of a shelf in the quiet zone, staring dangerously at a group of students whose volume was rapidly increasing.

“Quiet please.” Maka ordered on reflex as she passed them. Though she clearly heard someone hiss bitch they quietened down without a fuss. Soul’s attention turned to her and he shuffled aside, giving her space to lean against the shelf next to him.

“There’s still grass in your hair.”  he commented casually, eyes scanning the library.

“There’s an ant bite on your neck that looks like a hickey.” Maka countered, surprised by her wit.  

Soul’s hand clapped against his neck and he squinted down at her, lecherous grin sneaking onto his face and barely concealed flirtation in his tone.

“You think that’s bad you should see my back. There are nail marks. Your fault.”

Maka bristled, but refused to back down. She had to be able to keep her cool in all situations if she wanted any chance of succeeding in her pervert plan let alone her desired career in law enforcement. Besides, she was on a roll.

“I thought you men like it when a girl gets rough.”

She was smugly pleased at Soul’s startled twitch.

“Love it,” he replied smoothly.

Maka made a non-committal sound in the back of her throat and scanned the study area professionally. Proud of how coolly she managed the exchange (despite her hammering heart) . She pushed off the shelf and Soul followed her on a round of the second floor.

“I got a fake ID.” Maka announced quietly.

Soul raised an eyebrow and whistled, impressed.

“Finally shaking up your nerd image?”

Maka jabbed him with her elbow.

“It’s for our mission to get into Chupa Cabras jerk.”

“Maka...” Soul trailed off uncertainly.

Maka looked up at him, fight written all over her face. She wasn’t going to back down from this. Their infiltrating the website’s group was the best way to put an end to it. There were some bugs in Stein’s surveillance kit and a wire. Maka could even set the wire up to record and upload straight to a cloud so that the evidence wouldn’t be lost even if the wire was damaged.

“I’m doing this Soul, with or without you.”

Without warning Soul grabbed her hand and pulled her between the shelves. She squeaked at the suddenness, but didn’t pull herself free from his grasp.

“Stop thinking that you have to do any of this without me. Stop even joking about it.”

She wasn’t sure if he looked angry or hurt or something else entirely.

“It’s not that. Soul really. I just don’t think its fair, this has gone so much further than anyone thought. I wouldn’t want you thinking you had to or that you’re committed to this. It’s dangerous now, we’re not just running around college anymore.”

Soul considered her for a moment before sighing and shaking his head. Face hidden under snowy bangs Maka had no idea what he was feeling. Probably exasperated at her constant nagging, maybe relieved at no longer having to play the loyal hero and partner. He looked up at her, hair out of his eyes and a smile, not a smirk honest on his lips.

“Maka, I’ll follow you wherever you go.”  

Maka blushed, but didn’t look away. The last time she’d seen him smile that open and unguarded he’d been steadily bleeding out in an ambulance, high on morphine and reassured that only he had been hurt. Remembering slowly that he still had her hand in his she squeezed. Soul’s fingers twined with hers, thumb brushing over her knuckles lightly. Maka’s breath caught in her throat and she knew that if she did not cover her face immediately it would be as red as Soul’s eyes. A shriek erupted not far from their secluded shelf and Maka jumped back from Soul, leaping to attention. At the sound of him banging his head back against the books Maka shrugged sheepishly. Soul nodded and peeled himself away from the books.

“I’ll go. You keep scheming.”

Maka shook her head.

“We’ll both go.”

And if her fingers brushed against his when they were trying to save a laptop doused in coffee neither of them mentioned it.  

\---

In two days Soul had spent approximately ninety percent of his time with Maka (and occasionally Blair) going over every aspect of Maka’s plan to enter Chupa Cabras and infiltrate the website’s inner circle. However, in the twenty-four hours leading up to Blair’s next shift and their D-day he hadn’t seen Maka once. He hadn’t seen his Winterfell Direwolves hoodie either, but he suspected he knew why considering Maka had been eyeing it jealously for weeks. Opinion that she looked better in his clothes then her own aside, it didn’t sit right with him that they’d barely spoken since finalising their plan. They needed to be connected and of one mind to pull this thing off. According to Maka’s psychological analysis of their amateur pornographer, she’d decided that his fun lay not just in taunting Maka and Soul as individuals, but in relation to each other. He saw them as a team, a united front and their best hopes were to play into that so he’d think he had the upper hand. Soul hadn’t bothered to point out that there’d be no acting needed there. Still, he felt out of the loop even after as little a time as two days.

Soul leaned against his bike tense and jittery. He glanced down at his phone once more, re-reading Maka’s text. She claimed she was almost ready, but that had been fifteen minutes ago. He’d go into the building and find her himself if anyone had thought to give him one of the new swipe cards.

“Sorry! I sneezed while doing my mascara and we had to start over on one eye.”

Soul’s head whipped up at the sound of his partner’s voice and was promptly frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth slightly agape. He was sure that he shouldn’t just be staring at her like that, but wasn’t sure how to stop. Black thigh high boots drew his gaze up sinfully long legs to a wide expanse of pale thigh before meeting a very short (even for her) plaid skirt. Distracted from her lower half as she shrugged into her leather jacket, Soul only noticed the black corset like shirt just in time to see what it was doing to her not so tiny anymore tits.

 

 

“Soul?”

Shaking his head harshly Soul forced his gaze to her face and kept it there. Maka rarely wore makeup, but tonight it was out in full force, smokey eye and red lips framed by ash blonde hair messily pulled back with a few small braids.

“Am I overdressed? Blair said it would fit in...”

“Is that your skirt?" Soul eyed the scrap of plaid fabric and the bits of black-- was that lace or that fluffy stuff that poofed out skirts?-- that poked out under it.

Maka frowned and picked at the fraying hem.

"Well it used to be my high school uniform until Blair got her claws into it."

A high pitched squeak that was entirely the opposite of cool somehow escaped Soul. He clapped his hand to his mouth and coughed as if clearing his throat. It was a weak cover and he doubted it was fooling anyone, not even his chronically oblivious partner.

"Then, are those your boots too?" he asked of the sinfully fitted thigh highs.

Maka eyed him suspiciously and crossed her arms under her chest.

“Ah, just because, well they’re so long they’re gonna be great for a ride...on the bike. Extra protection and...” Mentally he slammed his head against an imaginary wall. Damnit it was just a pair of legs, it wasn’t like they were wrapped around his head. Fuck. That mental image wasn’t helping.

“Don’t try to distract me from our agreement.” Maka walked towards him confidently, only stumbling once in her heels.

“Are you sure you can handle it?” Soul reached to catch her on instinct, but she waved him off.

“We agreed. I have to prove to this guy that I’m willing to take risks. He has to believe I’d lie to the police, to my own father, that I’m not as good and innocent as I seem.” She reached for her helmet, strapping it under her chin.

“I still don’t see how you driving my bike is going to prove that to anyone.” Soul fastened his own helmet.

“That’s because you’re not halfway to a degree in criminal psychology.”

Maka swung one long leg over the bike and settled herself at the seat, leaning into the handlebars to test her balance.

“Can you even drive in those shoes, you haven’t practised in them.”

“Just get on the bike Soul.”

She glanced over her shoulder at him, glare deadly and lips in a perfect pout. Soul was so so grateful that he’d caved and taught her to ride, if only for that image captured in his memory for future reference. He shrugged in a half hearted attempt to regain some coolness before climbing on the bike behind her. His hands hovered at her sides, debating between the un-coolness of holding onto his--a--girl and the perfect excuse to hold onto her. Maka huffed and took his hands, wrapping them around her middle.

“You’ve got your bug right?”

“Safe in my pocket ready to put on once we get there.” he promised.

Maka took a deep breath and readied herself to drive.

“Please don’t fall off.”

Soul squeezed her sides lightly.

“You can do this.”

She put the bike into gear and pulled out of the Shibusen parking lot, cursing at how the wind pulled at her short skirt and how the only way to keep it down was one of Soul’s hands on her thigh.  

\---

The eyes of the Chupa Cabra’s bouncer followed the bike’s progress into the parking lot. Soul helped steady the bike and kicked out the stand as Maka brought it to a stop. He stepped off, giving Maka’s waist one last reassuring squeeze as he did. She smiled weakly up at him, carefully swinging herself off the bike to try and avoid flashing him. Soul looked away politely and placed his hidden camera glasses on his face. Maka’s fingers brushed his and he linked their pinky fingers for a moment before letting go. Maka took a deep breath, pushed her shoulders back, stuck her chin up and strode towards the bar. Soul walked to her side, slightly behind her with his hands in his pockets. He hummed the mission impossible theme under his breath. Maka turned to silence him with a glare. He shrugged as they approached the bouncer. The bouncer stopped them at the door. Standing more than a head taller than Soul and towering over Maka he was beefed up almost like a professional body builder. A tattoo reading No Future sat above an eye so eerily still and glossy it had to be fake.

“ID please.”

Soul watched impressed as Maka whipped her fake ID from her jacket pocket with the ease of someone who had been carded a thousand times before. Soul fumbled with his wallet like a sixteen year old trying to buy beer for the first time before handing over his drivers license. The bouncer peered at them both suspiciously and Soul was sure they were done for. Even though he was more than of age he could still be refused entry and as great as she looked he had no idea how good a fake Maka’s ID was. The bouncer’s earpiece crackled and he glanced between Maka and Soul as more muffled noises came out of it. He eyed them once more before handing their ID’s back and stepping aside. They moved to enter the bar and he stopped them, smirking down at them intimidatingly.

“Boss says table at the back near the kitchens, no wandering.”

Soul rolled his eyes and put his hand on Maka’s back, lowering it when he accidentally disturbed her wire and lead them forwards into the bar.

“Sure thing.”  

Upon entering he was assaulted by loud sports channels blaring from the TVs and a host of equally loud patrons cheering and booing accordingly. Scantily clad waitresses wove between tables, overly wide smiles on their made up faces. He spotted Blair behind the bar but made no sign that he had. Maka tugged at the hem of his jacket and tipped her head towards the back table. A muscled blonde man took up an entire section of the curved booth for himself. The bar-lights glinted off his numerous nose and ear piercings and he leered at them. Generic thug types sat at a safe distance from him in the curved booth. Two empty chairs were pulled up across from him. Maka lead them forwards and Soul hovered nearby, hand on the small of her back twitching nervously.

“So you’re the one in charge of the website.” Maka sounded unimpressed, but Soul felt her shake slightly.

The blonde man licked his lips and slouched further into his booth.

“And you’re the security bitch with bite sized tits.”

Soul tensed, both hands curling into fists.

“That’s what I’m here about, I’ve got a proposition for you.”

The crude man leaned forward, eyes promising trouble among other things.

“In front of your boyfriend? That’s cold. Or does he get off on that sort of thing? I bet he liked that video I sent him before. How about it punk, you wanna watch me fuck your girlfriend till she begs me to stop and then fuck her some more?”

Soul saw red and tried to lunge forwards, the only thing stopping him Maka’s iron grip on his jacket and the men on either side of the blonde creep standing to attention, ready to attack.

“Not a chance.” Soul growled.  

“Doesn’t like sharing his toys does he?”

“Neither do I.” Maka replied darkly. “Now if you’re done trying to intimidate me, I came here with a business offer for you.”

She released Soul and sat down with the confidence of a queen. Soul didn’t see her do it, but he knew that as she sat and the head creep’s attention was still focussed on him she attached a small bug under the table.

“Maka Albarn, security bitch,” she introduced herself.

The man in charge stared hungrily at her chest before smirking at her and answering,

“Giriko, the name you’ll be screaming later.”

Maka scoffed and Soul’s fingers clenched around the back of her chair.

“The police know you conduct business here. They’re scrambling around trying to put together a sting operation to bring you down.”

“Useless punks won’t get shit on me. We’re well informed.”

“Well you won’t have to worry if you like my plan. You haven’t brought the original site back online yet. I’m guessing you’re going to put that video of me on it. I want to go into politics one day. I can’t have something like that out there.”

“Might get more votes that way, sugar tits.”

Maka raised an eyebrow.

“Doubtful. My offer is simple. I get the police to back off and keep your little handy cam business running in secret. I’ll be a lot more discreet than your current goon, never be noticed and when I graduate I’ll find someone trustworthy to take over. In return you delete the video and it never sees the the internet.”

Giriko leered at her lecherously as he considered the offer.

“Or we work out a different kind of arrangement to take that video off our list. You talk pretty with that mouth, but what else can you do with it?”

Soul gripped her shoulder tightly and leaned forward, a dangerous expression on his face. Maka leaned back in her chair and stroked his hand lightly. He glanced down at her and she met his gaze briefly. Her message was clear, stay calm. She turned back to Giriko.

“I’m offering you continued business and revenue. You’re not going to get a better offer from me or the police. Make your decision.”

Her hand continued to run over Soul’s and he noticed belatedly that it was shaking. He squeezed her shoulder gently, wishing he could do more.

“What makes you think I’d trust a nosy slut like you?” Giriko demanded.

Maka sighed like he was a child missing the point and reclined regally in her chair, taking her hand away from Soul’s.

“Because you can’t keep this going without me. Besides, it’s not your decision anyways is it?”

Giriko froze mid lear.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about bitch.”

Maka sat up straight in her chair and her tone switched from unimpressed to cool and calculating.

“You don’t have the brains to be in charge of this and you don’t fit the profile. Let me guess, you’ve got a record, but its not in plain peeping. You’ve probably got assault and battery, maybe armed robbery, definitely sexual assault. To get away with all that though you’ve either got friends in high places or owe someone with pull a debt. Drugs? Girls? It doesn’t matter, either way you’re just another disposable lackey. Now stop insulting me and go get who’s really in charge.”

“Bitch,” he spat, leaning over the table dangerously. “Talk down to me one more time and I’ll fuck you with a chainsaw until you stop screaming.”

Maka tensed and Soul gripped her shoulder tightly with one hand, his other reaching for the taser in his jacket pocket.

“That’s no way to talk to business associates Giriko.” A voice crackled over the walkie talkie on one of the thug’s belts. It sounded vaguely familiar but Soul couldn’t place it. Maka’s head jerked towards the voice.

“Soul, that sounds like my tutor.” Maka hissed when the voice paused.

Before Soul could question her the voice crackled through the walkie talkie once more.

“However, I suppose though crude it is somewhat appropriate for someone who’s been recording the entire conversation. There’s a bug under the table, probably a wire on her and the boyfriend too. You know what to do.”

Soul didn’t need Maka’s signal to know that now was the time to move. Maka yanked her bug from under the table and Soul pulled her chair back, catching her and hoisting her to her feet when it toppled over. Not having time to reach his taser he ducked the punch of the first thug to swing at him, shoving him backwards before kicking him down. The second thug advanced on Maka and before Soul could help her she’d already tazed the man. He crumpled in a heap at her feet and she stepped back beside Soul.

“Where were you keeping that?”  He dodged another swing from the first thug.

Maka cut under his arm and stuck her taser in the thug’s gut. He crumpled as fast as the first one. She turned the taser off and shoved it back into her jacket pocket.

“Where did you think?”

Soul shrugged and turned back to the booth. Giriko was gone. He heard a stifled shriek behind him and spun around, fist formed and ready. Giriko had a firm grip on Maka, one palm open on her breast and the other holding a small but undoubtedly sharp knife to her throat. Soul froze, eyes wide and barely breathing. Maka stared at him intently as if she was trying to allow him to read her mind. His heart hammered in his chest as more thug like men started to appear in his periphery. The bar was so crowded now he wondered if Blair would call the police, or even see them through the masses. The scar on his chest throbbed, a constant reminder of what was at stake and how it should be him at that knife’s edge, not her. Never her.

“Don’t try and be a hero punk. Security Bitch and me are gonna get outta your hair and work out her debts for being a dirty little traitor.”

“I’m not gonna let that happen,” he said as calmly as he could manage.

Giriko laughed at Soul, tossing his head back and letting his knife knick Maka’s skin. She inhaled sharply, but made no other sound despite the thin trickle of blood running down her long neck. Soul’s breath stopped at the sight of her blood and he twitched forwards. Maka caught and held Soul’s eye, unwavering and determined. He didn’t know what she was planning, but she was planning something. Her fingers moved in a forward and backward motion. Soul barely nodded in response. He exhaled slowly. Maka had been in self defence training long before puberty. She could get out of this, then he would be free to beat the ever living shit out of Giriko.

Giriko laughed some more, loud and deranged.

“Like a skinny punk like you could stop me! You couldn’t even stop a mugger from slicing you in half! You know what, maybe I’ll take a stab at it. After I deal with your little slut first. Hey, maybe I’ll film it and make you watch as I gut you.” He laughed a little more “Yeah I like that. What about you?”

He groped Maka once more, his arm sliding down to allow his hand a better grip. It killed Soul to watch, but it was the opening Maka needed. She swung her needle pointed boot into his calf and jabbed her elbow into his gut. Giriko swore, leaned forwards and loosened his grip on her further. Maka dropped to her knees away from the knife and rolled out of his reach before standing unsteadily. Soul leapt forward and barrelled into Giriko, knocking them both from their feet. He landed harshly but on top of the creep, landing one punch to his face to keep him down before scrambling for his taser. He miscalculated how tough Giriko was when expecting assault. Soul took a punch to the jaw that left him reeling and spitting blood. There was a harsh kick to his ribs and he curled into a ball, trying to roll away.

“Fucking punk! I’ll rip you apart!”

Soul pulled himself into a crawl and scrambled for something to pull himself up. A shadow crossed his vision and he rolled away on instinct. Behind him he heard Giriko scream. He jerked his aching head around. Maka had hit him with the napkin dispenser and was dodging and weaving three new thugs. Soul swore under his breath and hauled himself to his feet, making sure to grab his taser from his pocket. Four more men streamed out from the kitchens, each bigger and scarier looking than the last. Soul glanced around the bar nervously and threw a punch to get to Maka, ignoring his aching hand. He all but slammed into her back to back. She whirled, ready to hit him, but stopped at the last moment. Around the bar people were noticing the fight and watching with confused interest.

“Someone’s gotta call the police.” Soul panted between kicks and punches.

“Well let’s make sure they do. THESE GUYS THINK THE DEATH CITY DEMONS SUCK!”

Basic, but effective. No inebriated sports fan would tolerate someone dissing his team. In moments the entire sports bar was a chaotic riot of men beating on each other and waitresses and sensible patrons running for cover. No longer able to distinguish from Giriko and his fellow cronies and anyone else Soul reached for Maka, staying as close to in place as he could until he felt her hand in his. He pulled her towards him and she crashed into his chest, put off balance by her shoes.

“Damn things.” she muttered. “Duck!”

She pulled him down and he narrowly avoided a king-hit to the head. Hand tugging his she started crawling, taking a few inadvertent kicks to get away. Soul scrambled to overtake her so he could clear their path to the front door. He barely heard her yelp and feel her grasp at his pant leg before she was restrained again. Giriko had her by the leg and yanked her across the floor and under him. Before Soul had time to scramble around Maka had one leg over his hip and had used his weight against him to flip him. She hovered over him and without hesitating stuck her taser in his neck. Soul grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off of him as a small current travelled through Giriko and into her. Giriko convulsed next to them. Maka panted heavily, only twitching once before pushing at Soul to move. They reached the door in time for armed police officers to push through. Maka pushed them out of the way by the unused umbrella stand. Soul turned her to the wall, caging her against it so no one could trample her. She tugged at him, pulling him closer and further from harm. Her arms around his head were hot and shaking as she cradled it to her neck defensively. A stampede of people crashed through the door, buffeting Soul without notice or second thought in their attempts to evade the police. He grit his teeth and braced his arms. Maka’s grip tightened on him and she was apologising repeatedly.

“S’fine,” he muttered into her neck.

 

The onslaught didn’t last long. The noise in the bar died down as more patrons were subdued. Maka’s grip slid from his head down to his neck and he looked up at her. She was sporting the start of one hell of a black eye and there was dried blood on her neck, but she was here and she was smiling and her hand was still on his neck. Soul exhaled shakily and coolness be damned, rested his forehead against hers. Her fingers splayed on his neck and despite it all she laughed. He joined her, overwhelmed and aching and with a clear view right up her skirt there was nothing else to do but laugh. He probably shouldn’t be staring at her black and green striped panties though. He pulled his forehead away from hers and moved to lean against the wall shoulder to shoulder with her. Their hands found each other and gripped tight. Soul rubbed his thumb across her knuckles and wondered if he should have just kissed her instead.

\---

Maka wasn’t entirely sure why she wasn’t embarrassed for her father to find her beat up, dressed suggestively and holding a boy’s hand, but somehow she wasn’t. He fell into a puddle at her feet switching manically between sobbing over her injuries and yelling at Soul for touching his sweet baby girl. Wisely, Soul stayed silent.

“Papa, I’m fine. I’ve been hurt worse playing field hockey.”

“Bu-but my precious darling Maka is covered in bruises. You’re, baby, y-you’re bleeding! Papa wasn’t here to protect you.”

He sobbed messily like a toddler and for the first time in years something in Maka warmed.

“It’s okay Papa.”

She let go of Soul to hug her father, burying the uninjured side of her face in his chest. Spirit was only frozen in shock for a moment before he held her back.

“Papa loves you the most,” he whispered fiercely.

“I know.”

Maka murmured so quietly that she wasn’t sure he’d heard. It felt strange to acknowledge it after so many years of denying his declarations. When she thought about it, it had never really been his claims to love her that had offended her so. He just didn’t love her mother like he should have. There was no doubt that there was nothing in the world he loved as much her and now she was letting him, at least for a moment. When he finally let her go he turned to Soul and as serious as Maka had ever heard him said two words,

“Thank you.”

Soul nodded once and it seemed as though some kind of understanding passed between the two of them. Before she could ponder it Maka found herself and Soul whipped up in a whirlwind of finding an ambulance attendant to check their injuries and giving statements to other police officers. They both handed over their bugs and by the time Maka realised someone had left them with blankets and coffee resting against the side of a police cruiser the sky was beginning to get lighter.

“It’s so far past my bedtime,” Maka mused.

Next to her Soul chuckled.

“I’d say we’ve more than earned it.”

“It feels kind of like an end of an era...”

“You really don’t function well without eight hours of sleep do you?”

Maka hit his arm halfheartedly and yawned. He wasn’t exactly wrong. Who knew what other stupid things she might say given the chance. He put down his coffee and shrugged his blanket off, extending a hand to her. He smiled almost nervously. Her attention focussed on his bloody knuckles and how strangely attractive they were. She blinked, or maybe half fell asleep standing up before remembering Soul was waiting to say something. She looked up at him sleepily.

“Let’s go home, okay?”

Maka took her time glancing between his face and his hand. Belatedly she took his hand and let him pull her under his arm when she stumbled on her shoes.

“Yeah, home sounds good.”

The sun had risen by the time they made it back to the apartment. Soul closed the blinds while Maka stripped down to her underwear and put on the shirt closest to where she stood. They fell onto the bed without a word and were asleep for five minutes before the alarm went off. Both moaning and cursing they scrambled for it, knocking the clock off the bedside table and jerking its cord from the wall in the process. Maka was too tired to notice that she was still draped over Soul and Soul was already asleep again. They slept for twelve hours straight and when finally they started to wake Maka wasn’t sure if she really let him kiss her or if she had dreamed the whole thing.

 

\---

With the help of what was recorded on Maka’s bugs the police had enough evidence to press charges against Giriko and launch a full investigation into who he was working for. Despite her certainty that the voice over the walkie talkie sounded just like her criminal psychology tutor Justin Law, Maka was hesitant to voice her concerns. There was no reason to believe that Justin was involved in any way and she’s been pumped full of adrenaline and listening to a disjointed connection. Still, she mentioned it to her father over dinner one night. Nothing came of it. Unable to make any undeniable links between Giriko and whoever he was fronting for the case hit a dead end. Giriko was probably going to take the fall for it all if he ever went to court. Maka suspected he’d take a plea bargain and be back on the streets in no time. She hoped her suspicions were wrong, but accepted a new civilian taser from her father all the same. He had wanted to get her a gun, but she managed to convince him to teach her to shoot one before trying to make her get a carry permit.

Now that midterms were upon her she barely had time to worry. She spent most days split evenly between work and class and her nights in one of the library’s private study rooms surrounded by notes and huddled up in an oversized Winterfell hoodie. Her exams kept her mind off the loose ends of the case, like how they never did figure out who was maintaining the hidden cameras and running around with a handheld. All the hidden cameras had been removed, their hidey-holes patched up and no one had even thought maybe they were being watched. Whoever it was it seemed that since Giriko was arrested they were through. Once again the bathrooms were a mess on a good day and a war zone on a bad one. It had taken Maka ten minutes of foot tapping and elbowing to get a spot at the big mirror to do her makeup, minutes that at the time she didn’t think she had.

Maka frowned at her phone once more. No new messages. Next to her Tsubaki shrugged and smiled apologetically. Liz rolled her eyes and Patti continued to try and spell swear words with her peas, oblivious to Maka’s discontent. Maka’s stomach grumbled and she tried to ignore the dining hall and all the food on her friends’ plates.

“He’ll be here soon.” Tsubaki assured her.

Maka huffed and locked her phone.

“He better. We’re gonna miss our reservation.”

“Just call the restaurant and change it.” Liz offered, taking a bite of mashed potato.

Maka groaned and hit her head on the table.  “They’re totally booked. We had to wait almost three weeks for this one.”

“That’s what you get for organising a date in a brand new restaurant.”

Maka tapped at her phone impatiently, admiring the shine of her dark red nail polish against the black screen.  

“It’s not a date.”  

“You’re dressed up!”

“It’s a nice restaurant!”

“You did your nails. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you do your nails.” Tsubaki teased deviously.

“I have too! You’ve seen me, right Patti!”

Patti hummed distractedly. She was having trouble shaping her peas into a U shape.

“Alright, so you’ve done your nails before.” Liz cut in again, pointing accusingly with a carrot stick. “But would you care to explain why you’re wearing Blair’s boots again?”

Maka resisted the urge to kick her under the table.

“They’re good protection for if I come off the bike.”

Liz scoffed. “Maybe if they were leather and not suede.”

Before Maka had to think of a new justification for her attire, a set of big monkey hands pushed down on her shoulders.

“Get off me Black*Star!” She pushed back.

He laughed at her and moved to swing himself into the empty seat beside Tsubaki.

“So pigtails here has got a hot date? Nobody tell Soul; he’ll burst a blood vessel.”

Black*Star yelped as Maka’s boot collided with his shin under the table.

“It is not a date!”

Patti flicked a pea at Black*Star with her fork.

“‘Sides, it’s Soul she’s going out with.”

“Well it’s about time! Amiright!” Black*Star hooted. “Here’s to the happy couple.”

Before she could out scream Black*Star in reminding everyone that it was not a date, just a celebration for solving the case, Maka’s phone buzzed. She glanced down at Soul’s message and tapped out her reply, promising to meet him downstairs.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to eat some real food.” she stood with her nose in the air, no doubt at how done she was with their shenanigans.

“Use protection!” Black*Star shouted as she stalked away.

“Enjoy not needing a key to unlock the bathroom!” Liz added.

“Have fun!” Tsubaki and Patti yelled together.

Maka grumbled under her breath about nosy friends and obnoxious might as well be idiot brothers as she made her way down the dining hall stairs and out onto the lawn. There was a cool breeze and her little black dress fluttered in the wind. She tucked her hair behind one ear and scanned the lawn for Soul. He’d said someone had let him in, but where was he? A casual wave caught her attention and Maka turned towards the fountain. Leaning against it was Soul. He was wearing a black pinstriped suit with a red shirt and black tie. He pushed off the fountain and walked towards her slowly hands comfortably in his pockets. Maka knew they were going to a nice restaurant to celebrate but she hadn’t expected him to take it too seriously. She wondered why she’d never seen him in a suit before. He looked good.

“Hey.” He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled a little from under his bangs. He’d forgone most of his usual gel, only using a little to keep his hair from flopping entirely over his face.

“Hi...” she answered quietly.

“Sorry I’m late. I had to fight Wes for the car. He wanted to get Taco Bell.”

Maka smiled and wrapped her slim blazer tighter around herself against the chill breeze.

“How’d you get him to give it up?”

Soul shrugged and offered her his arm. She took it and they started walking back towards the side gate.

“Asked him if he thought I would be stupid enough to try and ride the Harley in a suit.”

“What’d he say?”

“If the cumber-band fits. That’s not even the right kind of evening wear. He should know, he’s got about five for his performance tuxedos.”

She halted their progress for a moment to make sure she had both her room key, bathroom key and her swipe card in her purse. Liz’s farewell tugged at her mind. Maka was determined to prove her wrong, despite how big and luxurious Soul’s bathroom was compared to the dorms and the fact that for some reason her shampoo was there and not here.

“Sorry, so what did you say next?”

Maka took note of her bathroom key and swipe cared and took to rooting around for her room key.

“Told him I was taking you out.”

Maka dropped her key as soon as she grabbed it, sure her cheeks were flushing brilliantly under her already pink blusher. She was being stupid, it’s not like this was a date. Even if she had bothered with makeup and thigh highs and he was wearing a suit and asked to borrow the car. She noticed Eruka sitting at one of the picnic tables with her camera and waved. Eruka jumped in her seat before waving meekly back and quickly starting to pack up her various lenses and accessories.

“Got everything?” Soul asked.

Maka nodded and shoved her keys and card back into her bag. They approached the gate in companionable silence. Maka tried to distract herself from the cold by mentally counting all the keys in her possession. When she realised she had six she decided it was a wonder she hadn’t lost any. Then again none of the girls had lost any of their bathroom keys even though they were such a new and random thing. Maka jerked to a stop midstride. None of the girls had lost their keys. No one could get in or out of the bathrooms without one. Someone had been in that room with Liz filming her and not all the videos on the website had been filmed on the hidden cameras.

“Fuck.” Maka swore under her breath.

Soul’s arm tugged at hers and he looked at her quizzically.

“Everything okay?”

“All this time we assumed it was a guy, but it couldn’t have been! Only the girls had a key. It had to be one of the girls here!”

Soul leaned in to her and muttered, eyes darting around.

“But that means they’re still here somewhere.”

In the back of her mind Maka made note of how good he smelt, but mostly she was torn between outrage at a Shibusen betrayal and what Soul trusting her judgement without question was doing to her heart rate. Maka nodded to him once. Soul glanced down at his watch.

“If we don’t leave now we’re definitely gonna miss our reservation. What do you want to do?”

Maka gnawed at the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. Her eyes scanned the lawn again and caught sight of Eruka. The girl was frozen in place, staring at Maka in  abject horror. She must have heard them. Maka turned back to Soul briefly.

“I’ll just tell Eruka for now. She’s an RA she can tell the Dean and start thinking about what to do.”  

Soul nodded and Maka left him by the gate to jog over to Eruka. As soon as Maka started moving Eruka shrieked, dropped half her gear and started running in the opposite direction. Maka hesitated confused. She looked between the discarded photography paraphernalia and Eruka’s retreating form.

“Shit! Soul! It’s Eruka, it was Eruka. We have to catch her!”

“I’ll head her off!” Soul yelled back, already a black and white blur.

Maka cursed her decision to wear the thigh highs, but wasted no time trying to slide out of them. It was one thing to put them, it was another entirely to take them off. She spread her arms out like wings to keep her balance as she ran. Even in heels she was far more in shape and coordinated than Eruka. The older girl tripped and stumbled numerous times, blue grey hair kissing the ground as she caught herself. She shrieked at Maka’s quick pace and moved to turn a corner and reach the service entrance. Instead, she slammed into someone. She screamed some more and wriggled in Soul’s firm grasp. Maka slowed her pace and panted, no longer cold in the late autumn breeze.

“It’s definitely not cool to turn on your dorm-mates like that.” Soul growled.

“It’s not what it looks like! I mean! Well maybe it is but-” Eruka tried to clap her hands over her mouth to keep from further incriminating herself, but Soul held her firm.

Maka dug around in her purse for a zip tie.

“Seriously?” Soul deadpanned.

Maka shrugged as she bound Eruka’s hands together.

“I’m always prepared, good night or bad.”

Soul’s eyebrows shot up under his bangs before Maka had realised the full implication of her word choice.

“You know what I mean. C’mon, maybe if we can hand her off to someone quick we can still keep our reservation.” she mumbled.

Soul followed her back towards the main admin building. Eruka whimpered and bit down on her quivering lip. Maka glanced back at Soul, hair falling into his face, suit rumpled and eyes alight with the thrill of a chase. The way he was looking at her she imagined she probably looked the same.

“Or we could handle this ourselves and just get pizza at the Ubar after?” she offered.

Soul beamed at her.

“Still got that fake ID?”

Maka’s brow furrowed in confusion, but it didn’t stop her from nodding.

“Good. I’ll buy you a drink to go with that pizza. After all, once we’re in charge of security there it’d be pretty uncool of you to drink there illegally.”

Maka beamed back at him.

“Only if you promise to stop making me do all the leg work.”

Soul shrugged noncommittally and bowed his head respectfully.

“As always Maka, thank you for an easy arrest.”  

Maka laughed and spun in place arms outspread.

“Look out uBar offenders! Campus security is coming!”  

 

 


	6. After: Kinda Outta Luck

“You know it’s quite interesting how connected this has all become.” 

Stein feigned disinterest and spun towards his computer to shut it down and take a long drag of his cigarette. Spirit eyed him warily across the lab.

“How so?”

“Well isn’t it quite the coincidence that within a year of a seemingly random attack on your daughter and her partner they’re targeted once again? I suppose it could just be coincidence, she seems to have inherited her mother’s penchant for trouble.”

Stein paused for another drag and Spirit waited impatiently for him to continue.

“What are you getting at Stein?” 

Stein turned to face his old partner, fluorescent lights of the lab glinting off his glasses like the edge of a sharp blade. 

“I did notice something when reviewing the case files though that would suggest otherwise. All of the people involved in this website seemed relatively unrelated, as if they had stumbled upon each other by chance. So I did some research. There was one person they all have a connection to, even Maka and Soul.”

“What you’re implying...”

Stein cut him off, eyeing the dark corners of the room calculatingly. 

“Hypothesising actually. Regrettably, I don’t have enough evidence yet for it to go anywhere, but I don’t think that woman’s through with them yet.”

Spirit followed his erratic gaze around the room and nodded once slowly in understanding. 

“You’re asking for my help then?”

Stein stood and pushed his chair back under his desk. He took another long drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly near Spirit’s face. 

“No. I know you’ll help me. After all, if Maka is her new research subject we’re going to need to be extra careful.” 

Across Death City Stein’s voice crackled through a set of cheap computer speakers. Black fingernails tapped a glass desk slowly. A deep, but effeminate voice chuckled sardonically. 

“Well Dr. Stein. Let’s see if you can catch me this time.” 

On the computer screen was a video feed of a jail cell. A dark, muscled teenager paced anxiously face always turned away from the camera. He barked threats at random intervals and nervously patted his pocket as if searching for the reassurance of a familiar weapon. Black nails fluttered over a patient file. 

“Daimon Ragnorak, as your psychiatrist, I’m thrilled to deem you ready and safe for parole.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has been such an experience for me. Since starting university this year I hadn't written anything substantial; original or fic. I'd lost a lot of love for writing or what I had been writing and was seriously doubting any skill or talent I had previously believed myself to possess. Whether it was a slump, or a pre-life crisis doesn't matter because for some reason when I heard about resbang I signed up. I had no idea, no serious experience writing for this fandom and had only really just started making good friendships within the fandom. But in classic uni student fashion, late one night when I should have been studying, I said "fuck it! I'll do it" and signed up. I went a few weeks without any ideas and was beginning to worry that I wouldn't have time to write anything and would have to pull out. Then I got an email from the Dean at my residence. 
> 
> Female students at my residence hall had reported seeing someone filming them in the showers. We all went into a half nervous, half angry flurry. Everyone hoped that it was an isolated instance and nothing would come of it. We got on with our lives. Then it happened again. It wasn't until the third or maybe fourth report of recordings that I had the idea for this fic. Funnily enough I was standing in the shower when the idea came and I had to rush out in record time to scrawl it down. That's how Law and Order: DCU (or Campus Cop AU as it was known for months) came to be. We never found out who was filming girls at my residence or what they were doing with the footage, or if anyone was even filming at all, but in trying to figure out the real life truth I found a lot of answers for this story. 
> 
> There are also a lot of answers for this story that I found in my wonderful friends, followers, betas and artists. There are so many people I need to thank and I'm sorry if in all the chaos I leave someone out but I have to mention; fabulousanima, eisschirmchen, awesomeasusual, peregr1ne and my friends who asked questions, offered suggestions and supported me despite having no knowledge of or interest in Soul Eater. I wouldn't have been able to do this without you all and it wouldn't have been nearly as fun without you either. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 
> 
> And if/when I pursue the sequel you'll be the first to know.


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